Playing With The Odds
by LovePeeta
Summary: What if Prim's name had never been drawn? Would Katniss have fallen in love with Peeta anyway? Or would she have ended up with Gale without her staged romance with Peeta? This is a story about what would have happened if the Reaping had gone differently.
1. The Reaping

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, quotations from the novel, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Katniss**

I crawled out of bed and slipped on my hunting boots, just like any other morning. When I walked downstairs, I saw my mother and Prim eating some bread covered in goat cheese for breakfast. I always knew Prim's goat, Lady, would be worth the effort it took to get her. I faintly smiled as I remembered Gale and I talking the man into letting us have her and then seeing Prim's face light up when we brought her home. Gale was my hunting partner and my best friend. Since the day our fathers had both died in a mining explosion, we had been keeping our families and each other alive.

"Hey, Katniss!" My sister smiled when she saw me, her eyes bright. Her eyes held an innocence that had been long gone from mine. I would have given anything to never see her beautiful smile fade away.

"Good morning, Prim." I kissed the top of her head and picked up a piece of bread.

"Going hunting?" I turned and looked at my mother as I was walking out the door. I rarely asked for permission to do anything since my mother had all but disappeared when my father died. I was the reason we had food in the first place.

"Yes, I'll be back in time to get ready," I called back to her.

I waved goodbye to my mother and Prim as I walked to the woods to meet Gale at our usual spot, just like any other morning. Except this wasn't like any other morning. It was the day of the Reaping.

The Reaping was the day in which two tributes from each district were chosen to compete in the annual Hunger Games. The Capitol used the Hunger Games to remind the remaining twelve districts that they held the power and to prevent another rebellion. Even though District 13 had been reduced to a pile of smoking ruins, the Capitol wasn't satisfied. Instead, they forced us to sit and watch as the children of Panem killed each other until only one person remained standing: the Victor.

After Gale and I had finished hunting and traded our usual haul at the Hob, I was back in my room preparing for the Reaping. Prim had just turned twelve, so this would be her first one. I told myself there was no reason to be worried about her; she only had one slip of paper with her name on it. My name was in the bowl more times than I cared to think about. In addition to a slip for each year I had been elgible, there were many more because I had taken out tessera. Prim had offered to do the same, but I wouldn't let her. I slipped on the blue dress my mother had placed on the bed for me and waited patiently as she braided my hair. When she was finished, I took Prim's hand and walked to the square.

When we arrived, I turned to Prim. Her forehead was scrunched up, causing little wrinkles to form on her otherwise smooth face.

"Don't worry, little duck. You'll be fine," I tried to reassure her.

I kissed Prim's forehead and left her with the twelve-year-olds. As I took my place, I looked over and saw Gale. He was talking to his friends. To anyone else, he would seem to be indifferent to the day's events, but I knew better. He was two years older than me and had a lot more slips with his name written on them. When he returned my gaze, I saw the fear in his eyes even as he gave me a reassuring smile. I didn't have long to think about it because Effie Trinket, the escort for District 12, was picking up the microphone to begin.

Effie introduced the mayor, who briefly explained the history of Panem. He spoke about the Dark Days of the rebellion and how the Capitol had saved us. The story was becoming very tiresome after sixteen years. Haymitch, the only living Victor from our district, stumbled onto the stage somewhere in the middle of the mayor's speech. I don't think I had ever seen him sober, and it looked like today was no exception. After the mayor finished, Effie announced that it was time to announce this year's tributes. I glanced back at Prim, who was nervously adjusting her dress. She had to be safe from the Games. My eyes were redirected to the stage as Effie cheerily said, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be _ever_ in your favor!" Everyone waited silently as she pulled the first slip out of the girls' ball. _Please don't say Primrose Everdeen._

"Laurel Rhine."

My lungs relaxed as I let out the breath I had been holding. I watched Laurel take her place on the stage. She was fifteen years old and from the Seam. I didn't know her, but I could tell by her dark hair and gray eyes. She looked scared as she waited for the male tribute's name to be called. Effie reached into the bowl and called out the name.

"Peeta Mellark."

I immediately looked at Gale, relieved that he would not be going to the arena. It was only when I looked at the boy who was now making his way to the stage that I felt something else. Sadness. Peeta Mellark was in my grade at school, so of course I would feel sad that he had been reaped. I knew it was more than that though. He had saved my life by throwing me two loaves of burnt bread from the bakery his family owned when I was eleven years old and starving. He had run back inside, but not before I could see the bruises beginning to form under his eye where his mother had hit him. The next day at school I had tried to think of a way to thank him, but I looked down at the ground when our eyes met on the playground. It was then that I saw the first dandelion of spring and knew that I would survive. I told myself that the memory of him and the bread was the only reason that my heart had sank when I saw him standing on the stage, even though I knew it wasn't the truth. Not even close. It didn't matter now anyway. He was going to go to the Hunger Games and most likely die.

**Gale**

After the shock wore off and I realized that my name had not been called, I looked at Katniss. I expected to see her smiling back at me, but instead she was staring at Peeta Mellark with another emotion clouding her eyes. She looked almost sad. I didn't even know she knew him. I thought back to all the times we had traded with the baker, but there was never a time when she or Peeta had even acknowledged the other's presence. Oh well, maybe they were friends when they were children.

Before I could analyze the look on her face anymore, she had turned away and was walking toward Prim. I watched as she hugged her sister and took her hand. I made my way to them through the crowd and held her tightly, thankful that I wasn't hugging her goodbye. "I guess the odds were in our favor today." I said, humorlessly.

She gave me a small smile and nodded her head. Something was definitely wrong, but it was obvious that she didn't want to talk about it.

**Katniss**

Prim and I sat in our dimly lit living room that night and ate a rare treat of cookies that our mother must have purchased from the bakery as we celebrated our luck. Prim wore a genuine smile as she ate her cookie. The recap of all of the Reapings was being aired. As I watched the baker's son walk up to the stage, I could feel my stomach sinking again. I stared down at the cookie in my hand that was made by his family, maybe even him. The delicate yellow swirls that formed a beautiful flower brought his terrified expression to my mind. Gale was wrong. The odds didn't seem to be in my favor today.


	2. Double Confession

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Katniss**

School was cancelled today because of the interviews, so I woke up a little later than usual. Instead of jumping up immediately, I stared at the sun slanting through my window. The morning was so peaceful. Finally, I lazily reached for my hunting boots. As I was putting them on, I realized for the first time since the reaping that Gale, Prim, and I were actually safe for another year. Actually, Gale was safe from the Games forever since he was eighteen. I could feel a rare smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. It only disappeared when I remembered Peeta Mellark. Why couldn't I shake this feeling? It's not like we were friends or anything. Still, there were twenty-three kids who were going to die in the next few weeks at the hands of the Capitol. Twenty-three grieving families. The thought was infuriating. I had watched the Games on television for years, and the cruelty always made me hate the Capitol even more each time. Especially this year. Peeta could be one of the people I had to watch die on the screen…

Before my mind could dwell on the male tribute any longer, I tugged my boots on and headed to the woods. Gale and I didn't really have to hunt today, but I went anyways. It was the only place I could think clearly. As soon as I slid under the narrow hole in the wire, I felt like all of my problems had been left behind, confined by the dormant fence. I walked for awhile, enjoying the light breeze and the sun warming my skin. My favorite kind of day. If only I could always feel like this.

**Gale**

I watched as she approached our meeting spot. Even though we had never talked about it, I knew she would come here today. She was watching a bird fluttering in the sky with a small smile on her face. The only time I ever saw her happy was in the woods. With the exception of Prim, I was the only one who ever saw her real smile and heard her laugh.

I watched her for a moment longer then yelled her name. I knew I should be quieter so that I wouldn't scare off any game, but my mood was too light to care.

"Shh! You are going to scare away any animals within a mile of us!"

Even as she reprimanded me, her face broke into a smile. She was so beautiful. She grabbed her bow and arrows from behind the rock I was sitting on and we started our daily routine.

**Katniss**

After about an hour of silently hunting and checking the snares, we were back at our meeting place. Neither of us felt like going back yet, so we were just sitting on our rock and taking in the day. I broke the silence this time.

"What does it feel like?"

"Hmm?" Gale looked up at me, not understanding my question.

"What does it feel like to know that you won't ever have to go to the Hunger Games?"

"At first, I was relieved. But it doesn't change anything. I still have Rory, Vick, and Posy to take care of and worry about. Then there's you and Prim..."

I sighed, "It feels like we will never truly be safe."

Without my permission, my thoughts drifted to Peeta for the second time today. There had been nothing on the television about the tributes since the opening ceremonies. He had held his head high and smiled for the crowds while he and Laurel rode in the chariot, but I wondered what was really going through his mind. I wondered if he remembered the real reason that I couldn't get him out of my head…

My thoughts were broken when I noticed Gale staring at me. His expression had changed.

"We may not be safe, but we could be happy, you know."

I was confused by the path his thoughts had taken.

"What do you mean?"

"Katniss, I shouldn't have to spell it out for you, but I will."

My hands, which were absentmindedly tearing a leaf into thin strips, froze. I was sure that I didn't want to hear what he was about to say.

"I love you, Katniss." I was right. I didn't want to hear that. He continued, either not noticing or ignoring how wide my eyes were. "We could be together and get married someday. The Capitol can't deny us that."

I stared at him, shocked and a little bit angry.

"How could you even suggest something like that? If we got married and had children, they would have to go through the same things we've gone through. The Reapings, barely having enough food to survive…"

I purposely ignored the other part of his statement. Gale was my best friend, and I didn't want to think through my feelings for him any further than that.

"We could protect them, Katniss. Both of us can hunt. Who knows? Maybe by the time they are twelve, the Capitol will have been overthrown."

My eyes instinctively shifted around the woods. It always scared me to hear him talk about the Capitol like that, even in the woods. I didn't completely trust our privacy after the day we saw a hovercraft kill a boy and then pick up a girl we saw running through the woods.

He noticed that I hadn't answered yet and turned my face around so that I was looking at him. His hand was resting on my cheek and his gray eyes were staring into mine.

"Do you love me, Katniss?"

My mind started racing. I had never been this close to Gale before, and it was hard to think with his face just inches away from mine. I suppose that I did love him, but I don't think it was in the way that he wanted.

My words came out quickly as I said, "I can't, Gale. I just can't."

He searched my eyes for a moment longer before he moved his hand away from my cheek and sighed. "I hate them for doing this to us."

I didn't like seeing Gale upset, but there was nothing I could do. I had decided a long time ago that I would never get married or have children. I thought he would understand why, but I had obviously hurt him. He stood up and offered me a hand.

"Guess we should be getting back. They will be showing the interviews soon."

I let him help me up and started walking back to the fence in silence.

**Peeta**

The Capitol had been much weirder than I ever expected. The strange combinations of colors that they used on everything, their skin included, made no sense to me. I would have never even used them on the same cake back home in the bakery. They fit in perfectly here, however. Everything was a little bit off here. I looked across the table to see Laurel finishing her dinner. The lamb stew looked appetizing, but I couldn't bring myself to eat anything. Just thinking about what would happen tomorrow made me sick. Instead, I swirled my spoon around in the bowl until our mentor, Haymitch, sat down next to me. Despite his reputation as a drunk, he had been sober enough since we arrived at the Training Center.

"Aren't you going to finish that?" He was pointing at my stew.

"No."

He shook his head and looked frustrated.

"You need to eat as much as you can now if you plan on making it very long in the arena."

If he was trying to get me to listen to him, the arena probably wasn't his best bargaining tool. I didn't really think that I stood a chance against the Careers who had been training their whole lives for this. I wasn't giving up, of course, but I didn't see what a few elaborate Capitol meals and two and half days of training would do to help me. I listened to Haymitch anyways and finished the stew. I didn't want to be on his bad side since he would be responsible for keeping me alive.

After I had finished eating, my prep team took me away to re-make me for the interviews. While they applied the unnecessary make-up on my face, they rambled on about someone that I didn't know who had apparently painted their nails in last season's color. The things they worry about here are so ridiculous. Eventually, I tuned them out and thought about Haymitch's instructions for the interview. After trying several angles, he concluded that I wasn't deadly, arrogant, or shy. He had finally said that I had a way with words and would probably appeal to the audience without even trying. So instead of playing an angle, I was just to be Peeta. That seemed even more challenging than any of the other scenarios I had tried to act out when I thought about all of Panem watching.

After at least an hour of preparations, I walked onto the stage wearing what my stylist had called "a classic tuxedo" and took my place next to Laurel. Her angle was obvious. Her long dark hair was flowing down her back in waves, and she wore a strapless dress that hugged her curves tightly. She was definitely going for sexy. I suppose she looked nice, but I was only reminded of someone else with dark hair and gray eyes.

The last time I saw Katniss was when I was on the stage at the Reaping. She had turned away and started walking back to her little sister, Prim, as soon as she caught me looking at her. But before she walked away, I saw the strange expression on her face. I didn't know what it meant, but it didn't matter anymore. Any chance of her loving me back was gone now. Besides, I had seen her hugging Gale Hawthorne while I was being escorted to the Justice Building. Everyone knew that there was something going on with them. I brought my mind back to the present and picked the nonexistent lint off of my shirt nervously as I waited for my turn.

The audience burst into applause when Caesar Flickerman exclaimed, "Now let's hear from Peeta Mellark, District 12!"

I slowly stood up and took the seat across from the interviewer.

"So, Peeta, have you enjoyed your time at the Capitol?"

"Enjoyed" was the last word I would have used. But I remembered Haymitch's instructions and smiled as I answered him with a story about the dangerous showers. The audience laughed and seemed pleased with all of my anecdotes. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until he asked a question that caught me off guard. He had to repeat it again before I understood.

"Do you have a girl back home in District 12?"

I stammered, "No, Caesar, I'm afraid I don't."

My voice sounded unconvincing even to me. I never stuttered.

"I'm sorry, Peeta, but I don't think I believe you. Come on, just tell us about her!"

He gave me a knowing smile and the audience started yelling and begging me to answer. I sighed. What was the point in lying? I would most likely never see her again. Haymitch would probably love it. I could just hear him saying how "charming" my hopeless declaration of love was.

"Okay, okay," I said and waited for the audience to calm down. "You're right, Caesar. There is a girl back home, but I think she is with someone else." I stared at my hands on the table as I said the last part. I had to remind myself that jealousy would get me nowhere right now, but the image of her hugging Hawthorne was still burned in my mind. I hated that the last memory I had of her included him.

The audience gave me sympathetic smiles and a few wiped away tears. It didn't seem to take much to upset the citizens of the Capitol.

"Do you want to tell us her name, Peeta? We can keep a secret." Caesar gave me a conspiratorial wink. I had to give him credit for trying to help the tributes during the interviews.

The audience started shouting, urging me to say her name. I'm not sure why they cared since none of them would know her. I guess they just couldn't pass up a piece of gossip, even about a sixteen-year-old boy from District 12. I took a deep breath before continuing.

"Her name is Katniss Everdeen, and I've loved her since I was five years old."

**Gale**

Mrs. Everdeen and Prim gasped from the couch behind me. I was vaguely aware that my mouth was open as I stared at the screen in shock. Had Peeta seriously just said that he loved Katniss? Since he was _five_? Sure, it wasn't a bad strategy to use. A doomed, unrequited love was sure to make the potential sponsors feel sorry for him. But why did he say it was _Katniss_ that he loved? Weren't there any other girls in town who would be happy to pretend to be the object of his affections? My blood was practically boiling when I thought about how he had just used her as a strategy in the Games in front of all of Panem.

I remembered at that moment that Katniss was sitting on the floor next to me. To say that she was surprised would have been an understatement. But there was something else there too. Was she _blushing_? I had never seen her blush before. Just as quickly as the red glow on her cheeks had appeared, it was replaced with the angriest expression I had ever seen on her face. Before I could comment, she was out the door and running to the woods, no doubt. There was definitely something that I didn't know about Peeta Mellark.


	3. A Love Story?

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Katniss**

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I didn't wait to see my family's reaction or hear the questions Gale would be asking. I had to get out. In one swift motion, I was under the fence and running as fast as I could. I let my anger carry me until I got to the lake. Finally too exhausted to keep going, I sat down at the edge of the water and processed what had just happened.

Peeta had obviously been trying to charm the audience with all of his witty stories in hopes of gaining sponsors. But then he told Caesar Flickerman and all of Panem that he loved me. Although his account of the perilous showers had been a hit, that had to have been the best joke he told all night. Too bad his freak show Capitol audience wouldn't see the humor in it.

It was only made worse by the fact that he was the second person to say that he loved me today. I threw myself back onto the beach and groaned loudly in frustration. Love was a weakness. I learned that a long time ago from none other than the charming Peeta Mellark himself. As I lay against the cool rocks, I closed my eyes and remembered the only real interaction that had taken place between Peeta and I when we were fourteen years old.

* * *

-2 years ago-

_I waved goodbye to the baker and walked out of the back room and into the front of the store. We had made our usual trade, a squirrel for a loaf of bread. I didn't think it was a very good deal for him, but he complimented me on my aim and said that he appreciated the meat. When I rounded the corner, I ran right into a bag of flour and fell down. I looked up from the ground and saw Peeta standing in front of me holding the bag. He was laughing, but he offered to help me up. I took his hand and stared at him expectantly. _

_He gave me a confused look, "What?"_

_I crossed my arms. "Aren't you going to apologize? You did just knock me down with that bag of flour."_

_He started laughing and said, "You're the one walking out of _my _bakery without paying attention to where you're going. You should really be more careful. You never know when something like a big bad bag of flour might jump out at you."_

_I gave him a disgusted look, which only made him laugh harder, and started to walk away. Before I could reach the door, he grabbed my hand. I pulled my hand away and turned around to look at him. "What do you want?"_

_With an amused expression, he said, "I'm sorry for running into you. At least let me make it up to you." My reluctance must have been obvious because he said, "Please?"_

_I looked outside to see if Gale was still waiting. I didn't see him so I thought that he must have gotten impatient and gone home already. Peeta was still staring at me, even jutting out his lower lip in a mock pout. I sighed in defeat and walked over to him. _

"_Fine. How are you going to make it up to me?"_

_He sat the bag down behind the counter and grinned. "Sit down and I'll be right back."_

_I walked over to a small, black table by the window and sat in the chair facing the back room where Peeta had just gone. After a few minutes, he came back and sat a covered dish down on the table in front of me. _

_I raised my eyebrow with a suspicious look and said, "What, are you trying to poison me now?"_

_Even though my tone was sarcastic, I couldn't help but laugh at the goofy smile on his face. _

"_Oh, come on, Katniss. If I had wanted to get rid of you, I would have hit you harder with that bag of flour."_

_I shouldn't have been surprised that he knew my name. We went to a small school and had several classes together. But I still got a strange feeling in my stomach when he said it. _

_I couldn't argue with him anymore because his blue eyes were absolutely shining. Before I could get too distracted, I gestured to the plate on the table. The smile never left his face while he sat down in front of me and removed the lid. Two fluffy rolls with cheese on top were sitting on the plate. _

"_They're cheese buns. It's a new bread we just started selling."_

"_Oh, I see. So you're letting me be the guinea pig?"_

"_Just stop talking and try the cheese bun!"_

_I picked up the roll and took a bite. It was the best thing I had ever tasted. He was waiting for my response so I gave him a thumbs up. He smiled and started eating the other one. We ate in silence for a few minutes and then I had to say it._

"_Thank you for the bread."_

"_It's the least I can do. After all, I did nearly kill you with that bag of flour."_

"_No, three years ago. When we were eleven."_

_His playful expression changed immediately when he realized what I meant. He looked down at the plate when he answered. "Oh. You're welcome."_

"_I saw your mom hit you for burning them. Why did you do it?"_

"_You looked so scared sitting out there in the rain and I could tell that you were starving. I couldn't leave you like that."_

"_But why did it matter if I was starving? A lot of other kids from the Seam were starving too, and you didn't even know me."_

_He seemed to be deciding if he should answer or not. Finally, he looked up at me and said, "Because I loved you." I stared at him in disbelief. "I've loved you since kindergarten when you sang in front of the class. Even the birds outside stopped singing because your voice was so beautiful." _

_I was still too shocked to say anything. He just stared at me, seeming to be searching for some kind of response in my eyes. I finally caught on to the present tense he had used. I said, "Peeta, do you still love me?"_

_I hadn't realized that we were both leaning over the table until he closed the distance and kissed me. The second our lips touched, I felt a spark that started in my chest and spread out over my whole body. I had never felt anything like that before. Too soon, he pulled away and said, "Yes."_

_I couldn't move for a moment, but then I stood up and started to leave. He grabbed my hand again and said, "Wait, where are you going?"_

_I could barely even form a coherent sentence, but I managed to stutter, "I, I have to go. My sister will be worried about me if I don't get home soon."_

_He let go of my hand and smiled. He said, "Okay. See you tomorrow, Katniss."_

_I nodded and practically stumbled out the door. I was surprised to see Gale sitting up against the wall, waiting impatiently. He stood up when he saw me. "What on earth took you so long?"_

_For some reason, I didn't want to tell him what had just happened. I shrugged and said, "Oh, it was nothing. The baker was chatty today."_

_I couldn't stop smiling the whole way home. Gale was giving me strange looks, but I couldn't have cared less. Even as I was getting ready for school the next morning, my good mood was practically tangible. When I got to class, I expected Peeta to walk in and sit down next to me. Maybe even kiss me again. But instead, he gave me a cold look and sat down on the other side of the room. His actions made no sense, but then I realized what he was doing. He didn't want to be seen with a girl from the Seam. I was so angry that I had let him get to me that way. I never even looked at him again and he ignored me just the same._

* * *

I heard someone approaching, so I opened my eyes to see Gale standing over me. I should have known he would follow me out here. I sat up when he sat down next to me. It was getting dark by now, so we both just stared out into the water and watched the sunset for a minute. He was the one to break the silence.

"I can't believe he did that."

I sighed. "Me neither."

I hoped he would drop it, but he kept going. "Why would he even say something like that?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly.

"I mean, there had to be a reason he said that about you instead of one of the other girls from town he's always with. Did something happen between you two or something?"

I practically yelled, "No, nothing happened!" Then I mumbled so low that I doubt he even heard it, "Nothing worth remembering."

He obviously wasn't going to let it go. "Katniss, what happened between you and Peeta? Did he hurt you? I swear, if he makes it back alive I'll—"

I cut him off with the first thing that popped into my head. I kissed him. He was surprised at first, but then he started kissing me back. I pulled away quickly. I knew it was a mistake as soon as I realized what I was doing, but it had the desired effect. He stopped asking about Peeta.

I looked back at the water, wishing he would forget that the last ten seconds had ever happened. He turned my head toward him like he had done before. He had the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face.

He said, "That was amazing."

I stood up and said, "We need to be getting back. My mother will be worried."

He stood up and followed me back to the fence. When he caught up, he grabbed my hand and linked his fingers with mine. Even though I should have, I didn't pull my hand away. I didn't have the heart to hurt him anymore today.

While we walked back to the Seam hand in hand, my mind couldn't help but acknowledge that I didn't feel a spark when our lips touched.

Playlist

Enchanted by Taylor Swift

I Don't Wanna Be In Love by Good Charlotte


	4. Let the Games Begin

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Peeta**

I walked silently as the guards led me to the launch room. My goodbyes had been short and sweet. My stylist, Portia, hugged me and wished me luck. Haymitch had given me a pat on the back and said, "Stay alive."

Some advice that was. To his credit, he had been trying to help me. He thought my confession at the interview was just what I needed to get the sponsors pouring in. He said that I would be "golden". I didn't feel golden when I stepped onto the platform that would take me to the arena. I felt like throwing up.

Before I could even process what was happening, a clear wall slid down around me and the platform started to rise. I immediately analyzed my surroundings. Haymitch had said to find water and shelter. There was a lake to my left and a forest to my right. The water was sparkling in the sun, like a thousand tiny crystals. I desperately hoped that it wasn't the only source of water. We had sixty seconds until the gong sounded and the killing would begin. I knew I had to think fast. There was a knife and a medical kit directly in front of me. I would grab them and run to the woods as fast as I could.

Just as I finished that thought, the gong sounded and mass chaos ensued. I was stunned for about half a second and then I started running. I picked up the knife and attached it to my belt. When I grabbed the medical kit, though, I looked up to see someone standing over me, spear poised to attack. I immediately recognized the girl from 5. She had straight red hair and a sly look about her.

She stared me down for at least five seconds before saying, "Meet me in the woods after the anthem."

I was shocked that she was letting me go, but I didn't stick around to question her motives. I ran as hard as I could. I only stopped when I reached the edge of the woods and turned around to see one of the most terrifying images I could imagine. The formerly civil teenagers were brutally attacking each other with the intent of killing anyone who came close.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the image to disappear, and started running again until I was deep into the woods. Then I walked for what felt like hours. I hadn't seen any water yet, so I decided to stop where I was and look at what I had managed to get away with. I hid in the shadows of a few trees and spread everything out in front of me. I carefully examined the knife. There was no way I would be able to throw it, but it might be useful in hand-to-hand combat. The medical kit contained several bandages, fever reducer, disinfectant, and burn medicine. I didn't even want to think about a situation in which I would have to use any of it.

There didn't seem to be anyone else near me so I decided to stay for the night and look for water tomorrow. I concealed the medical kit in the grass and leaned against a tree. I figured I had some time before the Careers started hunting so I decided to try and get some sleep. Instead of sleeping, though, my mind bounced from thought to thought as I allowed myself to think about something other than my immediate survival for the first time since I had entered the arena. That something turned out to be Katniss Everdeen.

I wondered if she was watching. It was mandatory for all citizens to watch the Games, but the rules had never stopped Katniss before. I looked up at the sky and saw that it was late in the afternoon. She was probably just getting home from school. I wondered if Gale was with her. She was probably sitting in his arms, just waiting for me to die so that she wouldn't have to put so much effort into ignoring my existence anymore.

Before I could get too carried away, I realized how ridiculous my musings were. I was in the Hunger Games, maybe even being hunted by the pack of Careers right this second, and all I could think about was what Katniss was doing? I clearly needed to stay focused on the more important issue: staying alive. With that, I pushed her out of my mind and fell asleep.

I woke up a few hours later when the anthem started to play. Ten faces flashed in the sky. The girl from 3, the boy from 5, both tributes from 6 and 7, the boy from 8, both from 9, and the girl from 10. Ten people had died within just a few hours. The thought was sickening. I quickly tried to figure out who was left. All of the Careers had survived the bloodbath, of course. That left the boy from 3 and the girl from 5, the girl from 8, the boy from 10, both tributes from 11, and Laurel.

It was then that I remembered what the girl from 5 had said. I was trying to decide if I should try to find her, since she did spare my life, when I saw someone approaching through the trees. I picked up the knife, prepared to defend myself. Then she started laughing.

She stepped into the slanting moonlight and said, "I thought I told you to meet me in the woods, not make me hunt you down and then try to stab me when I find you."

She wasn't holding up the spear, so I slowly lowered my knife. I cautiously asked, "Why did you ask me to meet you?"

She shrugged and sat down across from me. "You looked like you were strong enough to hold your own so I thought you might be useful. Do you want to be allies?"

I considered her question while I examined her face. She looked serious. I supposed she wouldn't be bad to have around for awhile. She had that sly look that made me think she knew what she was doing.

Finally, I said, "Sure."

She didn't even react, as if she had expected me to say yes the whole time. She asked, "Do you have any food or water?"

I said, "No."

She said, "Neither do I. There's a stream not too far from here, and we'll have to do something about the food tomorrow."

"Okay."

She stood up and said, "And by the way, this is a terrible hiding spot. If you expect to survive the night, you've got to do better than this."

I was hesitant to follow her as she started walking off, but she was right about my hiding spot. And she knew where the water was. So I decided to trust her for now.

**Katniss**

Prim and I sat our backpacks down by the kitchen table and joined our mother in front of the television as soon as we got home from school. I knew Gale would be over any minute, but I didn't want to think about that yet.

My lapse in judgment last night was sure to have consequences that I wasn't ready to deal with. I knew that I didn't love him like he loved me. At least I didn't think I did. So then why did I kiss him? At the time, I was only trying to shut him up. But that still didn't explain why I had done nothing to make my feelings clear since then. I couldn't come up with an answer for that question that made sense, so I decided to ignore it for now.

I turned my attention to the screen to see a recap of the bloody scene at the Cornucopia. We had watched clips of it throughout the day, but it seemed even more horrific accompanied by Claudius Templesmith's commentary. I found myself scanning the group for Peeta. He was nowhere to be seen among the fighting tributes. I hoped that meant that he had gotten out of there before anything could happen.

Gale walked in right as they were finishing up the recap and showing the dead tributes. There were ten. I stared at the screen and watched the names flash. Rose, District 3. Ian, District 5. Reed and Trinity, District 6... Another face stared back at me from the screen with each name that was called. I couldn't watch anymore so I looked over at Gale. He had taken a seat on the couch next to me and was watching the screen intently.

"It's hard to believe all of those people died in such a short time. Hearing their names just makes it so much more…"

"Real," I finished for him.

"Exactly."

My mother announced that dinner was ready, so we got up and walked to the table. We couldn't turn the television off because it was mandatory viewing, but we did our best to ignore it while we ate. It wasn't too difficult since most of the excitement was over. Only the Careers remained at the Cornucopia.

We made small talk about school, and I could feel Prim's eyes on me while I ate. I finally gave in and met her gaze. She gave me a pointed look and a mischievous grin.

I had made sure to let go of Gale's hand last night before we got to my house, but Prim had seen anyways. I made a mental note not to be alone with her long enough for the questions to pour out.

As soon as we had finished eating, we filed into the living room and sat as we had last night. My mother and Prim were on the couch and Gale and I sat on the floor in front of them. We watched as the camera gave an update about each of the tributes. One was in a field, still trying to distance himself from the others even though it was getting dark. Another had used a sleeping bag to make a bed in the upper branches of a tree. She was very small with dark skin. She must have been the twelve year old from District 11. Something about her made me think of my little sister. I glanced behind me, grateful that Prim was sitting there.

Most of the tributes had settled in for the night somewhere in the thick forest, but the screen suddenly switched to a boy who was sitting on the ground. I immediately recognized Peeta slumped up against the tree. So he had made it out of the Cornucopia before it got too deadly.

His was staring at something with a skeptical look in his eyes, as if he was trying to make a difficult decision. Then the camera switched views to show a red-haired girl standing no more than five feet in front of him. My whole body became tense. I didn't even look up when Gale once again slipped his hand into mine.

What was Peeta doing? Just sitting there waiting for her to kill him? It was absurd for him to give up that quickly! But then I realized that they were talking. The girl disappeared into the forest and he followed her. Claudius Templesmith identified her as Ember from District 5 and said that the first alliance of the Games had been made.

I watched while Ember led Peeta through the dark forest. They weaved in and out of trees and finally into a cave next to the stream that I hadn't noticed before. I waited until they both fell asleep before I took a deep breath and leaned back against the couch. Gale had been silent the whole time, so his voice snapped me out of my reverie.

"He was smart to trust her."

I looked at him, confused. "What makes you say that?"

"Didn't you see her training score?"

I hadn't seen her score, so I shook my head. "She got a nine."

A nine was a pretty impressive score, especially since she wasn't a Career.

"She also knows how to stay out of sight. She was right about Peeta's spot. He would have been dead by morning if he would have stayed there."

I flinched at his words. When he looked at me questioningly, I just nodded to show that I agreed with his assessment of Ember.

Gale was sitting very close to me, still holding my hand. I didn't want to look at Prim, but I could feel her eyes burning a hole in the back of my head. I would definitely have a hard time avoiding her later. But, for the second time, I didn't pull my hand away. Whatever my feelings were for Gale, I had to admit that it was nice to have him to lean on while I watched the events unfolding on the screen.

I had spent the last two years ignoring Peeta. It was much easier to ignore him before the Reaping, but I had been thinking about the baker's son way too much lately. I told myself that I hoped he lived because he was from District 12. Even though that was true, it couldn't have been the only reason that I had been on the edge of my seat just at the sight of him talking to another tribute. But what was the point in dissecting the reasons that I wanted him to come home? His life could end at any moment in the arena. The only thing I could do was sit and watch.

Playlist

Devour by Shinedown

Over My Head (Cable Car) by The Fray


	5. Allies

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**A/N Thank you Rigal for the idea for this chapter! **

**Ember**

After three hours of sitting at the mouth of the cave, I was getting bored. We had been staying here for a week now. If anyone were looking for us, they would have found us already. Still, Peeta insisted on taking turns watching.

I turned my head to look at him, asleep on a makeshift blanket of grass. I didn't really want to ally with him, but my mentor had scoffed at my plan to hide out by myself and wait for the others to die. He thought it made me an easy target. He had finally compromised and said that I needed to find an ally at least until there were eight left if I was going to follow through with my "dim-witted plan." Idiot.

If anything, Peeta was only slowing me down. He had physical strength that I lacked, but he knew nothing about finding food. I usually sent him off to forage for berries while I snuck some food away from the Careers.

Although I didn't particularly like Peeta, trying to hate him was like trying to hate a puppy. Sometimes I caught him staring at nothing with a sad look on his face. Probably thinking about the girl he was in love with back in District 12. I thought that the whole thing was a strategy to get sponsors, but I had heard him mumble her name in his sleep more than once.

As pathetic as they were, his lovesick moods only made me more motivated to win. Even though I didn't tell all of Panem, I had someone I loved waiting at home too. I had promised Luka that I would come home, and I had every intention to keep that promise. Peeta was just a temporary, but necessary, part of my plan.

Still, I could take care of myself, and I was going to prove it as soon as we reached the final eight and I could ditch him.

I stared out into the woods and wondered where the other tributes were hiding. I was surprised that the Gamemakers had been leaving us alone. I figured they would have sent some kind of mutt to drive us out of the cave by now. I guess the action had been steady enough so far to keep the bloodthirsty Capitol audience entertained.

On the third night, the girl from District 8's face had been in the sky after the anthem. I wasn't surprised. The only thing she had been good at in training was throwing knives, and I saw her running away from the Cornucopia with only a package of crackers and a bottle of water. The Careers probably picked her off easily.

The next night was the girl from 12 and the boy from 10. Their cannons had fired one right after the other. I wondered what happened to cause both of them to die so quickly.

My thoughts were interrupted by Peeta's voice.

**Peeta**

"Ember?"

She quickly turned her head and shifted her body defensively. Alliances only went so far in the Hunger Games. Quite frankly, I didn't trust her either. There was just something about her that made me think she was always planning one step ahead of me.

I had never intended to stay for this long. I was originally going to leave after the first day. But that morning, I had received a loaf of bread from Haymitch. Since we weren't in any real need of food yet, I could only assume it meant one thing. And if he approved, it would probably be a good idea to follow through with it.

"I can keep watch if you want to sleep now," I offered.

"I'm fine. I'm going to go steal some more food. I'm getting restless."

She always seemed to be on edge. I think my presence made her nervous. I had pegged her to be the type of person who preferred to be alone from the very start. She probably only kept me around because she needed a guard.

I sat at the edge of the cave for almost an hour before I heard a cannon shot. I was afraid that the Careers had caught Ember, but she came back about half an hour later cursing under her breath about a trap. She refused to talk about it, but from what I could gather from her rants, the boy from District 3 had somehow dug up the mines from the Cornucopia and reactivated them to protect the food supply. That made sense because District 3 manufactured electronics.

"How did you get to the food without setting the mines off?" I asked.

"It was easy. I hid while he placed them and just hopped between them after they left again."

I laughed. Only Ember would figure out a way to get through a maze of mines.

She seemed irritated. "What?"

"Nothing," I said.

She stalked past me. "I'm going to sleep now."

I nodded. Her stubborn streak reminded me of Katniss. I sighed. Who was I kidding? Everything reminded me of Katniss.

Right after she fell asleep, the anthem started to play. The girl from 11's face was the only one that showed up in the sky. Even though she was my competition, I still didn't like the thought of a twelve-year-old dying. I couldn't help but think there was something wrong with a place that sent someone that young to an almost certain death. She wouldn't get to grow up and have her own family or see her loved ones again.

There was nothing I could do about it though. Nothing anybody could do, really. We were all just pawns in the Capitol's game.

**Ember**

The next day, I knew I would have to go back to the Careers' camp. Despite what I told Peeta, the trap was far from simple. Even though I knew where the mines were, one wrong step would end my life instantly. That's why I had only grabbed a couple things from the pile and got out of there as fast as I could.

I waited until Peeta was asleep for awhile then slipped into the forest. There were only 10 of us left, so I would be free to leave soon.

I slowly approached the massive pile of food and was once again grateful that no one was there. The Careers must have put all of their trust into the mines that District 3 set up. Arrogant fools.

I waited behind a bush for another minute and then went in. The tricky maneuvers left me hopping and tip toeing. I was only one step away when I heard them. Cato's loud voice was angry.

"We'll worry about 11 and 5 tomorrow! Tonight, we are going to find Lover Boy," he growled.

I only had seconds before they would see me, so I hurriedly tried to replicate the pattern. Due to my speed, my movements were too careless.

I knew I had made a fatal mistake when I tripped over the strategically placed log. The last thing I saw was a fiery explosion. Then everything went black.

Playlist

Stay Alive by Trapt

Playing God by Paramore


	6. Too Late

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Gale**

I woke up to the sound of Posy playing in the living room. She was still too young to understand why the rest of us had been solemnly staring at the television for weeks. For that, I envied her.

Last night, Ember had set off the mines surrounding the Careers' food supply. Then Cato had thrown a temper tantrum and killed Mick from District 3 because he was no longer useful. With that, there were only eight remaining.

Cato seemed to have forgotten about his hunting plans for the night in his rage. So the Careers slept at their camp, Peeta went back to the cave, and Thresh stayed in the field. I knew that the calm wouldn't last for long. The Gamemakers would be getting bored soon. But for now, everything was mostly quiet.

I walked into the living room and smiled at Posy on my way out. I had suggested that Katniss and I have a date this morning before anything started happening in the arena. She was hesitant but finally agreed. We were going to have a picnic in the woods, and even though it was simple, I wanted everything to be perfect.

When I got to our rock, I spread a blanket out on the soft grass and carefully placed everything. There was a loaf of bread I had traded a squirrel for, some goat cheese Prim had given to me after Katniss thought I had already left last night, and two cookies that I had spent most of my paycheck on. I didn't care about the money. We were doing fine with the haul Katniss and I were bringing in. I just wanted to give Katniss something that would make her smile.

I stared at the blanket in front of me. It was a good meal, especially for the Seam. At the last minute, I picked a wild rose and removed the thorns while I waited for her.

It was only a few minutes before I saw her walking in my direction. She was wearing a simple outfit, jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. She looked just as beautiful as ever. Her eyes, though, were haunted by a distracted look that hadn't gone away since Peeta's interview when he said he loved her.

When she reached our meeting place, I stood up and offered her the rose. She smiled as she took it from me and sat down.

"Gale, you didn't have to do all of this!"

I smiled back and replied, "I know, but I wanted to. I thought it would be nice to do something fun with everything else that is going on."

She nodded and started smearing cheese on a piece of bread. Despite all of my efforts to bring her back, her mind was still somewhere far away that I couldn't reach.

"What are you thinking about?"

The question seemed to catch her off guard. She looked up, and said, "Oh, nothing. It really is a beautiful day. Thank you for this."

Her fake smile wasn't fooling me, though. We ate in silence until we had our fill of bread.

"I have one more surprise."

She started, "Gale—"

I raised a finger to cut her off and handed her the cookie. At first, she absentmindedly took it from me, but then she really looked at it and froze.

"Gale, where did you get this?"

Her question confused me. "The bakery. Where else would I find a cookie in District 12?"

I knew my tone had turned sarcastic, but I didn't understand why she was reacting this way. Then it hit me. The bakery. Peeta's family owned the bakery. I couldn't believe I hadn't made the connection.

She slowly sat the cookie down as if it were a bomb that might explode any second and said, "Thank you for today, Gale. Everything was wonderful. But we should get back."

I could see that she didn't want to be here anymore, so I sighed and started folding up the blanket. So much for having fun.

The deafening silence remained while we walked back to the Seam. It was only when we reached Katniss' house that she broke the silence.

"Oh, no."

I looked to see what she was staring at in horror. There was a man with a camera sitting on her small couch that could only be someone from the Capitol. He had purple, spiky hair, and tattoos covered his skin. Mrs. Everdeen rushed to meet us at the door. She looked apologetic when she said, "Someone is here to talk to you, Katniss."

For a moment, I thought she was going to run. Then she sighed in defeat and stood in front of the man, her arms crossed. I smiled a little at her stubborn stance that I knew so well. "You wanted to speak to me?"

He replied cheerfully in a thick Capitol accent, not bothered in the slightest by her sour expression. "Interview you, actually! As you know, Peeta Mellark has made it to the final eight. I am here to interview his friends and family!"

She must have already known what he wanted because she sat down and stared at him impatiently. He took that as her consent and clicked the camera on.

"How long have you known Peeta Mellark?"

"Since we were eleven years old." She didn't offer any more details, and I was suddenly very curious. This was the first time I had ever heard her speak about him.

"Eleven? Peeta said he has loved you since he was five years old. Were you aware of his feelings for you?"

She gritted her teeth like the question offended her. "No, the news came as a shock to me."

"I see. Was he right about you being with someone else?"

He looked at me when he asked the question. I would have been angry if I wasn't so anxious to hear her response.

"No, I am not with anyone."

I felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of my lungs. She wasn't with anyone. All this time, I had apparently been deluding myself into thinking she was finally going to be mine, and she was still so against it.

The reporter, apparently tired of dragging answers out of her, wrapped up with his final question.

"Is there anything you would like to say to Peeta?"

She stared at the floor for a moment, concentrating on something. Finally, her voice became noticeably softer, and she said, "I hope he makes it home."

With that, the man shut off the camera and left. I was still standing there, unsure what to do. Katniss didn't move an inch. She only turned her attention to the television where Claudius Templesmith was talking enthusiastically about last night's events. Slowly, as I would do with prey in the woods, I approached her and sat down.

"Did you mean what you said?"

She looked at me with a tired expression on her face. "Gale, please don't."

"Katniss, tell me. Did you mean what you said when you told the reporter that you weren't with anyone? That you weren't with me?"

She finally showed the first flicker of emotion that I had seen all morning. "I said I didn't want to talk about it!"

She angrily stormed upstairs and slammed the door to her bedroom. I probably should have left, but I couldn't. Instead, I stayed until she finally came back and sat on the floor in front of the television without a word.

After several hours, there was still nothing happening in the arena. The Careers were waiting until nightfall to go after "Lover Boy." The Gamemakers hadn't tried to drive them together yet. I guess the audience was satisfied for now with watching the interviews. I flinched when Katniss appeared on the screen. I couldn't watch it again. Thankfully, Prim bounced in and told us that supper was ready before I had to.

After we had been eating for a few minutes, Prim couldn't contain herself any longer. She beamed, "How was your date this morning?"

Katniss shot her a glare that silenced her immediately. I said, "It was fine."

Prim, obviously surprised by her sister's reaction, simply said, "Oh."

The rest of the dinner was spent in silence.

**Katniss**

After the "date" this morning and the interview about Peeta, all I wanted to do was lock myself in my room for the rest of the night. Instead, I took my place next to Gale in front of the television. Nobody spoke. Today had been filled with awkward silences and uncomfortable questions, and I hated it. I hated how I couldn't talk to my best friend about the things that were bothering me. I knew I had to make it clear to Gale that I still didn't want a boyfriend or anything else. But I also knew there was a good chance I could lose him forever. That was what kept me enduring the awkward silence.

There was still nothing happening in the arena. The Careers had finally decided to separate, and everyone was doing their best to stay away from each other. Well, everyone except for Cato and Clove.

They met up about half an hour after going their separate ways. It turns out there was something going on between the District 2 tributes. While Peeta had flaunted his "love", these two had been cleverly hiding their feelings until now. The Capitol audience was in an uproar about their hopeless love affair.

Gale, apparently as restless as I was, turned to me and said, "Let's go for a walk."

I agreed and hurried out the door. After we had made it to the road, I sighed.

"I don't know whether I'm more annoyed or nauseated by the 'lovers of District 2.'"

Gale laughed and said, "I know what you mean."

We talked nonchalantly about Claudius Templesmith's dramatic comments and mocked his accent as we walked. I hadn't felt so light in weeks.

The smile disappeared from Gale's face, however, when we reached the meadow in the Seam. He sat down and motioned for me to do the same.

"Katniss, we need to talk."

I sighed, "Yes, we do."

He stared at the ground for a minute then said, "Why didn't you mention me when the reporter asked if you were with someone?"

The time had finally come when I had to tell him the truth and risk losing him. "Because I'm not. You know I don't want that. You've known from the very start."

I could tell Gale wanted to say something, but instead he asked another question. "What happened between you and Peeta?"

My answer was automatic. "I don't want to talk about that."

He suddenly became very angry. "I don't care if you don't want to talk about it! You've done nothing but ignore my questions and stare off into space since Peeta said he loved you, and I deserve to know why!"

I immediately yelled at him, "I have not!"

Gale ignored my protest, and said evenly, "Katniss."

I glared angrily across the meadow. As much as I wanted to deny it, I knew he was right. He did deserve to know. So I told him. I told him about Peeta giving me the bread that saved my life when we were eleven. About the kiss and Peeta ignoring me when we were fourteen. The whole time I was talking, he stared at me with his expressions ranging from shock, anger, and finally to regret. Exasperated, I finished with, "And there you have it. That's what happened between me and Peeta. Heart-warming story, isn't it?"

He didn't respond for a minute, but his eyes clearly communicated his sadness when he said, "I want to make you happy more than anything, Katniss. I always thought I could somehow break down those walls you surround yourself with. But Peeta beat me to it, didn't he? You can't get him out of your head, and nothing I do will ever change that."

I wanted to deny it, but I couldn't. Instead I just took his hand, and said, "I'm sorry."

He lifted his free hand and smoothed the hair back from my face. Before I knew what he was doing, he leaned in and kissed me again. I could feel his pain as his lips pressed against mine. He leaned back slowly and said, "Goodbye, Katniss."

I remained sitting on the ground, watching him while he walked away. Maybe our friendship had been damaged beyond repair. I guess only time would tell if he could forgive me. But I had done what I knew I had to do.

Finally I made my way back home. Before I could reach the door, though, Prim came running out. Her eyes were wide with panic. She was yelling, "Hurry, Katniss!"

I ran the rest of the way and stopped in front of the television. Apparently the Gamemakers had finally grown bored of replaying interviews and decided to do something about it.

Playlist

My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne

Not Meant to Be by Theory of a Dead Man


	7. Forced Fate

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Peeta **

Before Ember went to the Careers' camp, she gave me strict instructions to look for a small blue berry growing on a bush with jagged leaves. I was starting to think she was making things up to keep me busy because I had been searching for nearly a quarter of a mile with no success. We didn't really need the berries anyway, so I decided to find her and get a glimpse of District 3's trap.

After walking for at least a mile from the cave, I could see a small clearing in the forest. It was in the shape of an oval and just big enough for a group to set up camp, as if it were designed for that very purpose. It probably was. The entire arena was built to be a battleground, after all.

Ember was standing a few yards away from the large pile of food and supplies, looking around nervously. I watched in awe as she started hopping from one spot to another, her targets invisible to me. She was almost able to touch the pile when both of us turned our heads quickly. The Careers were coming back. I could hear Cato yelling something. The only words I caught were "tonight" and "Lover Boy." I could only think of one person who would have earned that title.

Even though they weren't in sight yet, they would be in a matter of seconds. My heart raced while I watched Ember quickly make her way out. From what I could tell, she was about halfway through when she tripped over a log. I saw a look of terror on her face, and a second later the mine exploded. Not only did it send her flying back, a domino effect was created. I watched as all twenty-four mines went off, one right after the other. All of the food was destroyed in a matter of seconds. In the silence after, a single cannon shot fired.

The Careers waited for the hovercraft to take Ember and then sprinted to survey the damage. Absolutely nothing was left. Cato fell to his knees and started beating his fists against the ground. When District 3 tried to apologize, saying that he didn't plan for the rest of them to go off, Cato jumped up and snapped his neck instantly. Another cannon shot was fired.

Paralyzed either from shock or fear, probably both, I stayed hidden in the trees and watched while Cato continued his rampage. The others watched impatiently as he cursed and threw things around. I wondered why they didn't just kill him instead of putting up with his antics.

My attention was brought back to the present when I heard him yell, "Let's go hunting. Now! I need to kill something."

The girl from District 4 spoke up and said, "No, we need to stay here tonight. We just lost all of our food. Let's take tonight off and find more food tomorrow. There's got to be something in this arena if Lover Boy and 11 are still alive. Once we have taken care of that, then we can hunt them down."

Cato, nostrils still flared in anger, growled, "I decide what we do around here, Marie, and I say we hunt tonight."

They glared at each other intensely for about ten seconds before Clove stepped between them and said, "I think it's time for us to split up. There are only two other tributes, so a pack our size is no longer needed. Let's just agree to stay here tonight and separate in the morning. Is that okay with everyone?"

Everyone agreed except for Cato, who was still glaring at Marie. Clove gave him a stern look and said, "Cato?"

When he looked at her, his expression changed from anger to almost pleading. He finally groaned and muttered, "Fine."

Clove seemed satisfied with his answer and turned to face the others. "Glimmer, Marie, help me get rid of this stuff."

While she and Glimmer were starting to walk off with their arms full, Cato watched Clove with an anxious expression. He looked like he was actually worried about her being alone with Glimmer. He quickly added, "Let's all help; it will get done faster that way."

The other two gave him questioning looks but followed him into the woods. I took the opportunity to run back to our, well, my cave.

With the food that Ember had stolen yesterday, I would be fine for a few days. After that I would need some sort of a plan. If I were still alive, that is.

The next day there had been no deaths. After a long day of doing nothing but hiding in the cave, I was too bored to sleep so I sat at the edge of the cave. I had done this many times before, but this time I was guarding only my life instead of Ember's.

There were only eight people left now. That meant the Capitol would be sending people to the districts to interview our friends and families, if they hadn't already. I stared up at the stars that were now shining brightly and wondered what mine would have to say to the reporters.

I could picture the fake smile my mother would give them while she told them how proud she was of me, even though she didn't mean a word of it. I was sure my brothers would make some kind of sarcastic comment about me taking orders from a girl. Neither of them could ever be described as sensitive. Thinking of my father's gentle face, however, made me miss my family for the first time because he was the only one who actually seemed to care about me. I quickly moved on from that thought before the tears could come.

I had a lot of friends at school, so a few of them would probably be interviewed too. Most likely John and Witt. We had known each other since kindergarten, and they were my closest friends.

I was thinking of what they would say when it hit me who else would be tracked down by the reporters. Katniss. Of course the Capitol audience would want to know her opinion about the boy who declared his love for her to all of Panem. Even though I probably should have been worried, I couldn't help but grin at the thought of her arguing with the Capitol reporter. She had never been one to cooperate, and my confession had no doubt been like an open flame to gasoline.

After two years, I still couldn't figure out why she hated me. If only I could go back in time to that day in the bakery, before everything had gone wrong. She was so cute, trying to be angry with me for running into her. I could tell that she was trying not to laugh. And then when I kissed her… That was the best moment of my life. I still remember the look on her face when I leaned away. Her eyes were closed and a small but genuine smile played on her lips. It was only a few seconds, of course, before she realized what we had done and threw up her careful mask. But for those few seconds, she was the happiest I have ever seen her.

But then she walked out the door and—

My reminiscing was cut short by a low growl that seemed to be coming from the back of the cave. I slowly turned my head and saw a pair of eerily yellow eyes glaring at me through the darkness. My fight or flight instinct took over and I leapt down from the cave.

As soon as I started moving, the angry mutt began racing towards me. It was chasing me to the lake. Two cannon shots rang out over the growling. I guess I wasn't the only one who was being attacked. Once I got there, the other seven—no, five—tributes would no doubt be waiting or already slaughtering each other. I kept running, not once looking back at the mutt. When I reached the edge of the woods, I was surprised to see that I was no longer being chased. The mutt seemed to have vanished into thin air.

I carefully found a place close enough to see the entire area with the lake and the Cornucopia. I assumed that the others were doing the same thing because no one was visible yet. We all waited so long that I was starting to get worried about the mutts returning when I saw someone, no two people, stepping out into the open. Cato and Clove walked out slowly. They stood next to the lake with their backs to each other, shoulders touching. It made no sense. If the careers had separated, why were they still protecting each other? Then something else happened.

Cato grabbed Clove's hand and laced his fingers through hers. _No way. _

Almost immediately after their simple, yet shocking, gesture, an arrow lodged right into Clove's neck. She started choking and fell to the ground. Her cannon fired. Cato looked absolutely horrified. For a second, I couldn't help but feel bad for him. If that had been Katniss…

I couldn't even think about it.

I turned my attention to Glimmer, who was stalking towards Cato seductively. "We both know there can only be one Victor in these games, Cato. It was going to happen anyway."

Cato growled a fierce expression on his face, "Shut up, Glimmer."

He raised his knife to end her life, but another knife pierced her back before he got the chance. Marie stepped out of the woods. "That was for Clove. She was the closest thing I had to a friend in here."

Cato's expression softened. He mumbled, "Thank you."

He looked as if he couldn't imagine harming Marie after what she had done for Clove. Slowly, he and Marie approached Clove's body. Cato leaned down and tenderly brushed the hair back from her forehead. Marie placed a supportive hand on his back. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The atmosphere in the arena had completely changed.

I wanted to walk up to Cato and offer my condolences. It felt as if we should all walk out of here as friends. That's what should have happened. But of course it wouldn't. It was the Hunger Games, and Glimmer was right. There would only be one Victor.

Cato's goodbye was interrupted when Thresh suddenly charged out of the woods and lodged a spear in Marie's back. I cringed. The spear must have gone straight through to her heart because she fell to the ground and her cannon fired within seconds.

Cato grabbed his knife, but Thresh lunged for him and pinned him to the ground. Cato was a good fighter, but Thresh was obviously stronger. They wrestled for several minutes, and Cato got a few good hits in with his knife. Finally, Thresh delivered the final blow that ended Cato's life.

I sat for a few minutes simply staring at Thresh. He had been cut in several times. A few of them were really deep, too. Still, he seemed to be waiting for someone. I thought through the list in my head: two killed by the mutts, Clove, Marie, Glimmer, Cato... There was only one other person left. Me.

I wanted to do a lot of things, like run away or just disappear into thin air. But the very last thing I wanted to do was fight Thresh. I didn't like the idea of killing anyone, especially someone who was wounded. But I knew that it was kill or be killed. The second Effie called my name at the Reaping, the decision had been made for me.

I knew the time had come. In a matter of minutes, Panem would have a new Victor. I tightened my grip on the knife in my hand and stepped out of the woods to face Thresh.

Playlist

Airplanes by B.O.B. ft. Hayley Williams

If I Die Young by The Band Perry


	8. A Victor

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Peeta**

I eased through the trees and out in the open, not even attempting to be quiet. Thresh knew I would be coming. As soon as he heard me, his head snapped around. I could not only feel, but hear my heart thumping when we locked eyes.

We stared at each other for what seemed like forever, both trying to decide what the next move should be. I noticed that he looked really sick. Dehydrated, most likely. I doubt there was a water source in the field, and the Careers had been guarding the lake.

Finally, I said, "We have to do something or the Gamemakers will."

He looked exhausted, almost like he didn't have the energy to fight me. But in about the length of one heartbeat, he charged toward me and tackled me to the ground. I was too stunned to even fight back at first, so he pinned me down easily. His plan was clear. He didn't even have a weapon. He was relying on his brute strength alone.

It took me about two seconds to realize what was going on and strike back. I could tell by the look on Thresh's face that he had planned on me being easy prey. What he didn't know was that hand to hand combat was my one redeeming quality in these games.

For all of his strength, he knew nothing about wrestling moves. I had him in a headlock, my knife to his throat, in less than a minute. But something kept my knife hovering centimeters above his skin. Thresh choked out, "Just kill me already!"

For a moment, I couldn't do it. My hand wouldn't move. Killing another person went against everything I was. But my friends and family were watching. They were counting on me to make it home. And the only way to get home was for me to kill him. So I slit his throat and felt his limp body fall to the ground. The cannon fired seconds later.

After that, I was in a daze. Claudius Templesmith sounded like he was a million miles away when he announced the winner of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. Peeta Mellark, District 12.

The hovercraft appeared and pulled me up on a ladder. I was vaguely aware of someone handing me a cup of water. And when we got back to the Capitol, I was immediately ushered into a room where the doctors began to restore my body. But it didn't matter how much work they did. They couldn't bring back the baker's son from District 12 that went into these games. He was gone forever.

**Katniss**

I still couldn't believe that he was sitting on the stage in front of Caesar Flickerman, doing his post-interview. With all the fierce tributes, like Cato and Clove from 2, I had to admit that I never really thought the chances of Peeta winning were very high. Well, if you could call it winning. Sure, he was alive and had fame, lots of money, and a fancy house waiting for him in Victor's Village. But anyone could see how changed he was.

Compared to his first interview, Peeta was a shell of the person who went into the Games. This time, he mumbled his words, wouldn't look anyone in the eye, and didn't crack a single joke. It was unnerving to see how different he was. Almost as unnerving as it had been to watch him kill Thresh. I don't know why, but the thought still made me shudder. Those same hands that lingered on my face so gently when he kissed me had slit Thresh's throat…

I couldn't watch the interview anymore; I had to get out. I went to my usual place of refuge: the woods. I wasn't planning on hunting today though. I instinctively found myself walking to mine and Gale's meeting spot.

I hadn't seen Gale since we… what? Broke up? That doesn't sound right. I don't know what else to call it though. I missed him a lot, but he probably just needed some time. I owed him that much at least.

I sat down on the rock and stared into the thick trees. I remembered what Gale had said the last time I saw him. _"But Peeta beat me to it, didn't he? You can't get him out of your head, and nothing I do will ever change that." _

It didn't make sense that, of all people, Peeta was coming between me and Gale. And he wasn't even in the same district as us! I hated myself for it, but I was still angry at him. When he gets back to 12, I thought to myself, I'll—

The thought pulled me up short. Peeta was really going to be back in District 12. Here.

I must have completely blocked out the world around me because the sound of a voice made me jump.

"Hey, Catnip."

The way he could silently move through the woods still surprised me. I looked at him warily.

"Hey, Gale."

A predictable, but still awkward, silence followed as he stood about a foot away and stared at me. I surprised myself by being the first one to speak.

"Are we going to just ignore each other forever?"

Gale sighed and took his place next to me.

"We could, but that would be pretty boring, wouldn't it?"

I grinned and elbowed him in the side. We didn't need fancy words or apologies. With that simple line, I knew my best friend was finally back.

However, when I looked at him, his smile was disappearing.

"What are you going to do when Mellark gets back?"

Ugh. That seemed to be the question of the day. Gale was still waiting for my response.

"I don't know. Part of me wants to hit him, but the more rational part of me thinks I should just stay away."

Gale smirked when he said, "I think you should hit him."

I sighed, not in the mood to joke anymore. "It's just hard to be angry at someone who looks so… broken."

"You saw the interview this morning?"

"Yeah. It was like he wasn't even himself anymore."

"Wonder if he'll end up drunk like Haymitch?"

The thought of Peeta turning into our drunken victor Haymitch Abernathy made me cringe.

"I think you should go see him, Katniss."

I looked at Gale in disbelief. "Why would you say that?"

"Because, like you said, he is broken. And you are always going to be thinking about him if you don't. I think it would help both of you if you went to see him."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Gale."

He gave me a sad smile and said, "He'll be back tomorrow. Just think about it."

I nodded and returned my gaze to the woods in front of me.


	9. Reunion

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Katniss**

Despite Gale's suggestion, I didn't go visit Peeta the day he got back. Or for the next week. I didn't want to bother him. He was still settling in. He wouldn't want to see me. I had no shortage of excuses. While they all may have been true, the nervous feeling in my stomach made me think it was more than that.

I didn't even know what I was supposed to talk about. Definitely not the Games. But what else was there? The weather? I could just picture that conversation.

"_Hey Peeta! It's been really warm lately, don't you think?"_

Ugh. I was hopeless.

I heard a small knock on the door and told Prim to come in.

"Hey Katniss! Are you ready?"

She had insisted that I teach her to braid her hair like mine today. I patted the spot on the bed in front of me and she obediently took her place.

"What are you doing today, little duck?"

The name made her giggle. "I don't know. Maybe go hang out with Rory."

I smiled. Prim and Rory had been spending a lot of time together lately. Gale seemed to be bothered by it, but I thought it was cute. I had been worried too at first, but it wasn't because of Rory. It was just weird to see my little sister blushing over a boy.

We continued braiding and re-braiding for about half an hour until she was satisfied with her progress. She stood up and examined her hair in the mirror again.

"What are you going to do today, Katniss?"

I answered, "I might go hunting."

Prim placed her hands on her hips, giving me an impatient look.

"What?" I asked.

She sat down in front of me again, facing me this time. "All you ever do besides go to school is hunt. You need to have some fun sometimes."

"Hunting _is_ fun. Just not to you." I poked her stomach when I said that, making her laugh.

"Okay, fair enough. Just promise me that for today you will find something else to do."

I was about to argue when she suddenly jumped, causing the bed to shake. "I know what you can do!"

Amused by her excitement, I said, "What can I do?"

"You can go see Peeta Mellark!"

I stared at her in shock before narrowing my eyes. "Did Gale tell you to say that?"

"No, why would he do that? I thought he didn't like Peeta."

I guess I hadn't realized how observant Prim had been with me and Gale.

"It's complicated, Prim. Anyway, do you really think I should go see him?"

"Yes, Katniss, I do. He hasn't even left his house since he got back to 12. Haven't you noticed that he hasn't been at the bakery?"

I hadn't noticed. But after she said that, I realized that I didn't remember seeing him when I traded with his father. He used to almost always be at the counter when I came in. Usually, our eyes met for a brief second and then flitted away. Even with that limited and awkward interaction, I had grown accustomed to seeing him there.

"What good will it do for me to visit him?"

She looked as if she was speaking to a child. "He said he loves you. I'm not going to pretend to know why, but if that's true, then I think that he probably wants to see you."

She gave me the pleading look that she knows I have never been able to resist.

I sighed, "Fine. I'll go see him."

She squealed and hugged me. "I think you're making the right decision!"

"I hope so, Prim. If he orders me out of his house, it's your fault."

She laughed and said, "Trust me. He won't."

Content with her victory, she almost skipped out the door.

I called, "Have fun with Rory!"

Picturing the blush creeping up on her cheeks made me laugh. Only Prim could talk me into doing something I absolutely did not want to do and then leave me laughing.

I slipped on some shoes and walked slowly out the door. I had never been to Victor's Village before, but I knew how to get there. It only took me about twenty minutes to walk down the dirt road. I found myself standing before the large houses. They were much lavish than anything else in District 12. Each of the houses had a perfectly maintained garden in the front, filled with flowers of all kinds. Prim would love it, I thought.

"Hey, we got a visitor!"

I turned my head to see someone sitting on the porch of one of the houses. Haymitch Abernathy. There were bottles all over the porch and walkway, and the garden was a mess. I could even smell the alcohol in his hand from where I was standing.

I hesitantly approached him. I stopped at the bottom of the steps.

"You here to see me, sweetheart?"

Sweetheart? I scowled at him. "I'm here to see Peeta. Which house is his?"

He ignored my question, suddenly looking defensive. "Peeta, huh? And who are you?"

Impatiently, I said, "Katniss Everdeen. Now can you tell me where Peeta lives?"

He stared at me for a minute, and then recognition dawned on his face. "Oh, so you're the one that boy's madly in love with. You aren't nearly as endearing as he made you out to be."

I answered his statement with another glare. I was about to start walking off to find Peeta's house myself when he started talking again.

"Well, endearing or not, it's about time you showed up. His house is right over there."

I followed his finger to the third house on the left. Peeta's house.

"Thank you."

I started to walk off when I heard Haymitch yelling something.

"Katniss?"

I turned around again, really impatient now. "What?"

"I'm glad you came. Peeta could use a friend."

I just nodded and walked off in the direction Haymitch had pointed. Other than a light on in one of the rooms, there were no signs that the house was occupied. I carefully walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. I could feel my heart racing when I heard someone walking down the stairs.

**Peeta**

I fumbled down the stairs, not really watching where my feet were stepping. My eyes were focused on the door. Either someone had just knocked or I was going even crazier than I had realized.

It had been a week since I returned to District 12. My family helped me move in, but since then no one except for Haymitch had come to visit me. And he didn't bother knocking. He usually barged right in, drink in hand. That said, my list of possible visitors was a short one.

When I opened the door, the very last person I had ever expected to see was standing in front of me. Katniss Everdeen.

I cleared my throat, "Hello."

She fidgeted nervously, tugging at her braid. I think she looked over her shoulder to Haymitch's house. I didn't know why she would be worried about him though.

"Would you like to come in?"

She nodded and walked past me. I shut the door and gestured for her to sit down on the couch. She was looking around the house, seeming to be mesmerized by the size of it. I bet it was a lot bigger than her house in the Seam. I sat down in the chair across from her and stared at her for a minute, both of us sitting in silence. She was even more beautiful than I remembered. Finally she looked up at me.

"How have you been, Peeta?"

I almost laughed for the first time in months because of her attempt at small talk. "I've been better."

She looked down at her hands. "Sorry, stupid question."

"No, it's okay. I've been a little lonely, so it's nice to have some company."

Why was I telling her that? Sure, I've loved her for most of my life. But we've never exactly had a very close relationship. Or any relationship, for that matter.

She gave me a weak smile and said, "Peeta, I think that we need to talk."

"Right," I said.

She wanted to know why I had declared my love for her to all of Panem. I suppose I should have been expecting her visit.

She continued, "You said in the interview that you loved me. Is that true?"

The conversation felt all too familiar. This time, though, my brother had told me that he saw her holding hands with Gale. The reminder would have normally made me feel a pang of sadness, but I couldn't feel anything. I hadn't felt anything in a long time.

She was waiting for my response. I sighed. Even if she was with Gale, she deserved the truth. "Yes, it's true."

She looked as if she wished she would have never asked when she said, "Oh."

I hurriedly continued. "It is true, Katniss. But I also know that you are with Gale, and I would never expect you to feel anything for me."

Katniss jerked her head up. "I am not with Gale."

She looked just as shocked as I felt. "You're not? My brother said he saw you—"

I stopped, embarrassed. I doubt she wanted to hear that my brothers had been keeping tabs on her.

"He saw wrong. I'm not with Gale. I'm not with anyone."

Her indignant tone shocked me. Something told me that my brother had definitely not been wrong. Judging by the look on her face, however, I thought she was telling the truth about not being with him now.

"Okay, I believe you."

She seemed to be relieved. But her visit still didn't make sense.

"So why did you come here then, if it isn't because of Gale?"

I watched as the corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk. I couldn't imagine what she found funny about my question, but I wasn't going to ask. I wasn't sure that I wanted to know.

"I came here because I wanted to find out if you meant what you said."

I doubted that her entire reason for coming was to see if I meant what I said, especially when she knew I had no reason to make it up. But I decided to leave it alone.

There was still a question I wanted her to answer.

"Okay, I have a question too."

She looked up at me, curious.

I said, "I want to talk about that day in the bakery. When you left—"

"Peeta, don't!" Her outburst cut me off and caught me by surprise. I had been completely honest with her, and now she didn't even want to let me finish my sentence! Anger flared up in me.

"Why not? All of our tension goes back to that day, doesn't it? I just want some answers."

"I really don't want to talk about it. Can we please just forget that day ever happened?"

I studied her face for a minute. That's probably the best I was going to get from her.

"Okay, we won't talk about it. That's probably for the best anyways."

She made a sigh of relief. I actually grinned as I added, "For now."

She stared at me, giving me the same angry look I had seen before. I couldn't help but laugh. It sounded strange and unnatural, but it was the first time I had genuinely laughed in awhile.

She stood up and said, "I need to get back home."

I followed her to the door. Before she could leave, though, I stopped her. I couldn't let her walk out without knowing if I would ever see her again.

"So what exactly are we, Katniss?"

She stared at me thoughtfully. "We're friends."

Friends? Well, it was more than I had a right to expect. "So are you going to come back?"

She hesitated long enough to make me anxious. Finally, she said, "I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't, now would I?"

I smiled, relieved. "I guess not."

"Bye, Peeta."

I watched her walk down steps and out of the walkway.

"Bye, Katniss."


	10. Friends

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Peeta**

I heard the timer beeping, signaling that the bread was done. After slipping on a pair of oven mitts, I pulled out the two loaves. I stood there for a moment, inhaling the sweet aroma. Other than painting, baking was one of the only things that brought me pleasure.

There was little else to do. I didn't have to go to school anymore or work in the bakery. It was every kid's dream come true, in theory. However, it wasn't a dream come true to me. Without school or work, I was left with too much time to think.

Katniss hadn't been back to see me yet, but I believed her when she said she would. I don't know why I believed her. I still didn't know what to make of our… friendship. That's what she had called it. However, I had my doubts that the term "friends" accurately described our relationship. It was better than anything I could come up with though.

My musings were interrupted by a noise coming from the front of the house. It took me a minute to place it. When I finally did, my heart skipped a beat. I practically sprinted to the door, leaving the cooling bread sitting in the kitchen. When I opened it, though, Katniss was not standing there.

"What's with the look? Were you expecting someone else?" Haymitch smirked.

I was, even though I shouldn't have been. Haymitch always came over on Saturday mornings. It was the only sober interaction we had. I think he still felt obligated to check on me, even though he technically wasn't my mentor anymore. I had to admit I enjoyed the company, even if it was mostly small talk. Still, my disappointment must have been obvious.

"Hello, Haymitch. Of course not, who else would it be?"

He gave me a questioning look, letting me know that he didn't buy my innocent response. I took a step back to let him in.

"What are you baking?"

"Just finished two loaves of bread. You can take one with you when you leave."

"You have no idea how much I love having a neighbor who can cook."

We both took our usual places in the living room, me in the recliner and Haymitch on the smaller couch. I thought about what Haymitch had said. It wasn't the first time he had joked about finally having a good neighbor. What I hadn't realized before, though, was that I was the only neighbor he had ever had. At least since he won the Hunger Games at age sixteen. I tried to imagine what his life had been like up until this point. Alone, living with guilt for those who were killed by his hand, fighting off nightmares every night, mentoring two new kids every year who he knew would most likely die… Most of it wasn't hard to imagine, because it was my life too. But knowing that he was completely alone? The thought made me shudder. I suddenly found it easy to understand why he stayed drunk.

Before I could stop myself, I asked, "How do you do it, Haymitch?"

"Do what?"

"How have you kept living all these years?"

He looked at me with a serious and almost sympathetic look I had never seen him wear. The way he was staring at me reminded me of the way my father used to look at me when I asked him a difficult question.

Almost as quickly as I had picked up on the emotion his face displayed, he returned back to his sarcastic self. He gruffly said, "No one ever really survives the Games, do they? I turned to alcohol to keep going. In retrospect, it probably wasn't the best decision I could have made."

"Probably not, but at least you have a way to escape everything." I mumbled.

His voice became serious. "Alcohol doesn't let me escape from anything, Peeta. It only makes everything worse. The guilt, the anger, the nightmares… they are only amplified with every bottle I drink."

"Then why do you do it?"

He sighed, "Because I don't know how to live any other way."

I didn't know how to respond. I felt the instinct to comfort him, to try and make it better. But I knew nothing would make it better. Was this the life I was destined to live too?

When Haymitch spoke again, it was as if he had read my thoughts. "You don't have to end up like me, Peeta."

I didn't respond, so he continued. "I don't know what it is, but there's something about you that is just… good. I could see it the first time I met you. Resigning yourself to a life alone just isn't who you are. Even though you've been dealt a crappy hand, you don't have to give up on life."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. Maybe the person he was describing had existed before, but I didn't know who I was anymore.

"Just promise me that you will try. Find a reason not to give up because your life doesn't have to be over."

Even though I was skeptical, I wanted to believe Haymitch. The thought of something more than my current state waiting for me up ahead was enough to make me want it badly. So I said, "I promise."

When someone knocked on the door again, Haymitch got up and answered it. I peeked around him to see Katniss standing there. She smiled when she saw me. Haymitch patted me on the shoulder before picking up the loaf of bread I promised him and leaving. I stepped aside for Katniss to come in and shut the door behind her. When I turned around, I couldn't help but be in awe of her. The dark braid hanging down her back, her olive colored skin. Those were the traits that marked her as a Seam kid, but something about her demeanor made them all her own. She was beautiful, not in the flashy Capitol way, but in a real way.

"What?"

I realized I had been staring. Instead of being embarrassed, however, there was a warm sensation in my chest. I smiled. Maybe there was a reason to keep going after all.

**Katniss**

It had been two weeks since my last visit. I felt bad for not coming back sooner, but the only real chance I had was on the weekend. Last weekend, my mother and Prim had been unusually overwhelmed with patients. As soon as I got back from hunting, I had spent the rest of the day tending to the other chores.

Of course, there was also the fact that Peeta had asked about the one thing I did not want to talk about: the day in the bakery. I know it wasn't fair to ignore his questions when he was so open with me, but I didn't want to talk about it. When I thought about what happened just two years ago, the only thing I could feel was resentment. That's not what I wanted to feel toward Peeta. Not when he was so hurt. No, hurt would have been better. He was despondent. He paused awkwardly when he spoke, and I don't think he even noticed how much he stuttered. It wasn't until I cut him off that I saw any kind of real emotion, and then he was angry.

Just in the two weeks since I had seen him last, however, there was a remarkable change in his disposition. He let me in without saying a word. When I turned around to face him, he was looking at me and smiling. It confused me, so I asked, "What?"

He just shrugged and walked into the kitchen. "I just finished baking some bread. Would you like some?"

Normally I would have refused when someone offered me something that I couldn't repay, but something about his warm mood made me feel lighter too.

I said, "Yes, I would."

I sat down at the wooden table and ran my fingers across the surface. It was not rough or dark like our table that my father had built. It was smooth and polished. Everything about his new house was much more elegant than anything else in our district.

I brought my attention back to Peeta as he sat a large piece of bread in front of me. Suddenly, I was taken back to the eleven-year-old boy who had saved my life by doing the very same thing: giving me bread. It was then that I realized why I was here with him, even though I hadn't been able to explain it to myself before. I wanted to save the broken boy in front of me, just like he had saved me. Not only did I want to, I owed it to him.

I didn't know how to go about helping him, but being his friend seemed to be a good place to start. I noticed him picking at his bread absentmindedly, so I tried to bring him back into the present.

"I noticed Haymitch was here. He wasn't causing you too much trouble, was he?"

He grinned at my lame attempt at a joke. "Not at all. For someone who stays drunk most of the time, he's actually a really great guy."

I raised my eyebrows. He could see the skepticism in my look.

"People aren't always what you think, Katniss. He's not too bad to have around."

I highly doubted that Haymitch was a model neighbor, but Peeta had a way of seeing the best in people. I still didn't know what he saw in me, for instance. But the thought of Peeta being here alone with only Haymitch to talk to was disturbing.

"What do you do around here?"

"I bake and paint and…" his sentence trailed off.

He really needed to get out of the house. Being trapped inside all the time couldn't have been helping him. Suddenly I had an idea. "Come with me, Peeta!"

He looked startled by my enthusiasm. "Wh-where are we going?"

I smiled, already walking to the door. "It's a surprise!"

Playlist

Savin' Me by Nickelback


	11. Summer Day

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Katniss**

"Peeta, you're doing it wrong!"

"Well, you're going to have to help me because my specialty is bread, not cheese!"

Prim and Peeta both laughed as she took the wooden spoon from him and started stirring. They had found common ground immediately when he learned she used Lady's milk to make goat cheese. Peeta shot me a quick grin while Prim stirred. She handed the spoon back to him, giving him strict instructions about how it was supposed to be done. He good-naturedly did his best to follow along.

My little sister has an uncanny ability to make anyone happy just by being around her. It's what I admire the most about her, and also why I knew bringing Peeta to see her would be a good idea.

They already knew each other, of course, from all the times Prim has dragged me into the bakery to look at the cakes. Even though I always made an effort to stay away from him, Prim asked questions about them and sometimes elicited a free sample. Due to my lack of attention, I never knew Peeta was the one who did the frosting for all the cakes and cookies. When he told me, though, I wasn't shocked. It seemed to fit him.

I glanced at the counter to see them finishing up. Peeta held his hand up for a high five, which Prim happily gave.

"So how did I do, Chef Primrose?"

Prim giggled and said, "Not too bad for a beginner. You still need some practice!"

"Well, we'll just have to work on that, won't we?" He grinned as Prim nodded.

I stood up from the stool I had been watching from and walked over to them. "What do you say we go to the meadow, Prim?"

"That's a great idea! Come on, Peeta!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him outside. Her energy seemed to be endless. I caught up with them and walked next to Peeta. He was studying his surroundings closely. I figured he had never been in the Seam before today. In a few minutes, we reached our destination.

The meadow was the most beautiful thing about the Seam. Prim immediately ran to the small playground and climbed onto a rusted swing.

She called, "Peeta, you should come swing with me!"

"I think I'm going to stay here and talk to your sister if that's alright." Noticing how unstable the chains looked that held up the swing, he added, "You be careful!"

Prim laughed at his warning. She wasn't afraid of anything. We both sat down in the grass, and Peeta busied himself by examining the tiny purple flowers that covered the ground. I shut my eyes and took in the summer breeze and the warm sun on my skin. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

"It's beautiful out here. I wish I had my canvas and paint."

I gently opened my eyes and looked at Peeta. I knew he liked to paint, but I had never seen his paintings before. Suddenly I wanted to. "Will you show me your paintings sometime?"He looked shocked by my question. He carefully answered, "I don't think you would like them."

His words left me baffled. They weren't what I was expecting at all. "Why wouldn't I like them?"

He studied the ground awhile before speaking again. "I mostly paint after I have a nightmare. It helps me get it out of my head."

"Oh." My reply seemed inadequate, but I didn't know what else to say. I asked, "Do you have nightmares often?"

He seemed reluctant so I added, "It might help to talk about it."

His eyes were clouded with a darkness that made me want to say something, anything, to make him smile again. I was never good at comforting people, and Peeta had been through horrors unimaginable to me.

Finally, he muttered, "Every night. They're all from the arena, but it's mostly just Thresh..."

I remembered once again the terror I felt watching Peeta slide the knife across the boy from eleven's throat. He must have noticed how pale my face had become because he quickly said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Peeta was apologizing for opening up to me because I couldn't handle it. I was a horrible friend. "Peeta, you shouldn't be sorry. You can tell me anything."

I knew I meant the words as soon as I said them. I wanted to help him, no matter how much it bothered me. He said, "Thanks, Katniss. That really does mean a lot."

At that moment, Prim ran to us to show off the four leaf clover she found. She smiled sweetly and said, "I want you to have it, Peeta. Don't lose it because it will bring you good luck!"

He took the clover from her and examined it before placing it in his pocket. "Thank you, Prim! I'll keep it safe." I thought I heard him mumble something else, but I couldn't be sure.

I glanced at the sky and saw the sun beginning to set. Mirroring my own thoughts, Peeta said, "I should probably be getting back before it gets dark."

I nodded and said, "I'll walk with you."

He bent down to hug Prim. She jutted her lower lip out in a pout. "Will you come back again?"

He leaned back, his hands on her shoulders. "Of course. Maybe I can teach you how to make something next time. Would you like that?"

The wide smile on Prim's face was all the answer she needed to give. We stopped by my house on the way, to make sure Prim got back safely. Peeta waved to my mother, who was sitting on the couch. She said, "It was nice to see you, Peeta!"

With a nod, he said, "You too, Mrs. Everdeen."

I grabbed my jacket and followed him outside. Even though it was June, there was still a chill in the air at night.

We walked in silence to the edge of the Seam. It wasn't an awkward silence though. It was natural. Being with Peeta was so easy. He was a naturally friendly person, like my sister. So unlike me. I was the independent one, the one whom everyone else stayed away from. Well, everyone except for him.

Peeta claimed he still loved me. It didn't make sense and the thought made me uncomfortable, so I mostly tried to forget it. He would see who I really was soon enough and realize I was a lost cause. He would find another girl who would love him back. For now, though, he needed a friend and I wanted to be that person.

As we continued walking, dusk started to set in. The sounds of crickets and other insects chirping filled the air around us. "It's nice, isn't it?"

I looked at Peeta to see him staring serenely at the dirt road ahead of us.

I asked, "What is?"

"The quiet. It's so peaceful. It's much better than living in the middle of town."

"Mmhmm," I agreed, even though I had no idea what it was like to live in town.

After a few minutes, he spoke again. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For today. It was nice to get out of the house and see someone other than Haymitch."

"I thought you and Haymitch were buddies now?"

He laughed. "I said he was a good guy, not that I wanted him to be my only contact with the world."

I grinned back at him. The idea did seem a little frightening.

"I've always liked Prim. She's just so genuinely happy. I can tell you really love her."

I sighed. "I do. I don't know what I would do without her."

While thinking about Prim, I realized I had never met Peeta's older brothers. "What about your brothers? What are they like?"

He grimaced, as if he didn't really want to think about them. "I don't see them very often. We don't really have a lot in common."

"Do they like to bake like you?"

"No, they only work in the bakery because they have to. It's the family business," he explained.

I thought about what Prim said about not seeing him there and asked, "Why don't you work in the bakery anymore?"

He stared at the ground. "I don't know. I just don't want to face everyone. All of the customers know me either from before or after the Hunger Games. I don't want to see the pity in their eyes or answer the uncomfortable questions. Not yet."

I nodded. "That makes sense."

I knew exactly what he meant. After my father died, even people I didn't know offered their comforting words or sympathetic looks. After awhile, all I wanted was to tell them to leave me alone.

"Do you think you will ever go back?"

He raised one corner of his mouth to form a crooked smile. "Yeah, I can't imagine staying away forever."

I looked ahead of us and was surprised to see we were only a few yards away from the gates of Victor's Village. Even more surprising, I wasn't ready to say goodbye yet.

Peeta stopped walking when we reached the gate. "Thank you again for getting me out of the house today. It was nice to spend time with you and Prim."

I stared down at my feet. "You're welcome. I thought it might help, and I know Prim enjoyed it too."

With one finger placed under my chin, he gently lifted my face to meet his eyes. His voiced was soft when he spoke. "I mean it, Katniss. You have no idea how much you help me."

His blue eyes were gazing into mine without a trace of the darkness I had seen in them before. There was only warmth. Our close proximity made me uncomfortable, so I took a step back. I stammered, "Well, um, I should go. I'll come back next Saturday if I can. I mean, if you want me to."

He smiled, seemingly not affected by my discomfort. "I would really like that. See you later, Katniss."

I gave him a small wave and said, "Bye, Peeta."


	12. Baby, Please Don't Go

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Katniss**

As school let out for the summer and the weeks went by, my life took on an easy routine. Gale and I would hunt in the morning, then I would either go to Peeta's house or he would come to mine when he wasn't working. My mother and Prim absolutely adored him, and I think he liked being around my family.

There was one evening when Peeta took me and Prim to his family's bakery. He tried to teach us to frost cookies. Prim caught on quickly, of course, but I gave up after my flower turned out to be an oddly shaped blob. Sometimes I stopped by before Peeta's shift was over just to watch him work. It was as if just being in the bakery transformed him into a completely different person. He wasn't distracted or tired anymore, and the distant look I had grown accustomed to was gone from his eyes completely. Other than our short interactions before the Games, it was the most alive I had ever seen him.

I still didn't want to talk about the first time we had met in the bakery, and Peeta never pushed me. But it felt like a heavy weight suspended above our heads, just threatening to drop at any moment.

Thoughts of the inevitable discussion consumed me one morning while hunting. Gale noticed that I was distracted almost immediately. I tried to brush it off, but no amount of denial would suffice after I missed two rabbits in a row.

He threw his bow down in anger. I knew his fit wasn't directed at my poor aim. It was because I wouldn't tell him what was going on, and he assumed that could only mean one thing.

Venom filled his voice as he said, "What did Mellark do to you?"

I gritted my teeth and said, "_Peeta_ didn't do anything. Don't accuse him when you don't even know what's going on."

He laughed sarcastically, "Right. That's why you can't even shoot straight. But I forgot, _Peeta_ can do no wrong."

I could feel the anger rising up in me. Gale had been making comments like that more and more frequently, and I was getting tired of it. He was my best friend, but my issues with Peeta were none of his business. I wanted to tell him as much, but it would have only fueled his anger. Instead, I took a deep breath and explained, "There's something I need to talk to Peeta about, and I'm not sure how to do it."

His glare didn't waver, but he replied in a steady voice, "The kiss?"

I nodded once and picked up my bow again. I started to walk off, but he didn't move. He directed his gaze to the ground and kicked a rock. "Your friendship with Peeta was a bad idea. You had to know it was going to come up eventually."

That stopped me in my tracks. I spun around and shouted, "My friendship with Peeta was a bad idea? You don't know anything about Peeta. You were the one who insisted that I go see him. It's not my fault you're jealous that—"

The look on his face made me fall silent in the middle of my sentence. I knew I had crossed a line. As much as I should have, I didn't regret it though. It was true.

Gale stared at me open-mouthed for a few seconds that felt more like hours. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared back. I wasn't going to let him guilt me into apologizing for something I wasn't sorry for. He was being unfair by making cutting remarks about Peeta all the time. It served him right.

He replied evenly. "I know he loves you."

With that, he picked up his bow and started to walk away. I yelled, "Gale, wait!"

I wanted him to feel bad for what he had been doing, but I didn't want to lose my best friend over it. He turned around and yelled, "What, Katniss? You want me to come back so you can tell me how I feel? You're right. I am jealous. It was my idea for you to go see him, but I didn't tell you to fall in love with him. It's too late now though, isn't it? I'm always too late."

I couldn't even form a response. Gale thought I was in love with Peeta. I liked being with him, but that's because we were friends, right? Suddenly I wasn't so sure.

Gale said, "That's what I thought."

That time I didn't stop him when he walked away.

**Peeta**

"You're welcome, Mrs. Henley. Have a nice day!"

I smiled as I watched one of our regular customers walk out the door with her usual purchase of three chocolate chip cookies. She stopped every Tuesday to buy them for her grandchildren. Just her presence always brought a smile to my face. People like her reminded me that there was still good in the world despite all the bad things I had seen.

I turned my back to the door and continued filling out the inventory sheet. We had to file it once a month. It was the one thing I hated about work.

Technically it was time to close the bakery, but I was keeping it open until I was finished. I had about thirty minutes left when I heard the bell on the door ring. I automatically called, "Hello! Can I help you with something?"

"I want one of everything. Well, make that two cheese rolls. They're my favorite."

The smile began spreading across my face before I even turned around. Katniss was leaning against the counter with her chin resting against her fist. She had been coming to the bakery while I was working lately. I wasn't sure what she found so amusing about watching me work the cash register and frost baked goods, but I liked her being there. I walked up to the counter and said, "Hey there."

"How long do you have until your shift is over?"

I couldn't help but smile because after all the years of watching her walk through the door, she was finally here to see me. "About thirty minutes. Want to help? I'll get done earlier, and then we can do whatever you want."

She looked at me hesitantly. "Do you really think it would be a good idea for me to help you bake?"

"No, that would be disastrous." She punched my arm, and I laughed because it didn't hurt at all. "I'm doing inventory. You just count the items in storage and write them down."

She started, "Hmm, I don't know if I can handle that or not…" I gave her a look then she grinned and said, "Put me to work!"

I threw her an apron and said, "Right this way."

After about fifteen minutes we were almost finished. With Katniss helping, the time was flying by. When I snuck a glance at her, my breath was taken away as usual. There was a tiny wrinkle right above her eyes and her lips were pursed in concentration while she stared at the box of sprinkles. She caught me staring and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

I could feel the blush creeping up, so I looked back down at the list. "Nothing."

After a few minutes I looked at her again. She looked like she was worried, and something told me it wasn't the sprinkles that caused the crease in her forehead this time. I stood up and took her completed list.

"Thank you for helping. You have no idea how much I hate inventory."

She shrugged. "It's no big deal."

After depositing our aprons behind the counter, we were walking down the street toward Victor's Village. Katniss had been silent almost all day, and I knew something was wrong. I also knew better than to ask, so I didn't bother her. She would talk when she was ready. I looked over to see her head tilted to the sky and her eyes closed lightly. The sun was shining brightly, and the warm breeze pushed the loose hair away from her face. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her in that moment. Instead, I turned my attention to the road in front of me, and asked, "So what do you want to do today?"

She bit the corner of her lip before answering, as if she was contemplating something. In a small voice, she said, "I want to see your paintings."

Of all the things she could have said, that was the one I didn't want to hear. It wasn't that I didn't want to show her my paintings because I did. It was because almost all of them reflected my worst nightmares from the arena. I had thought about showing them to her more than once, but I was afraid of how she would react.

She noticed my hesitation and said, "It's okay if you don't want to, we can do something else."

Instead of grasping at the excuse she was offering, I decided it was time. She obviously wanted to see them even though she knew they might be disturbing. I was the only one holding back.

"No, I want to show you."

She gave me a look that made me think she was really happy about my decision. I could feel the same warmth inside my chest I felt every time she smiled at me. I don't know why I did it, maybe it was impulsive, but I laced my fingers through hers. I felt her hand stiffen at first, but then she did something remarkable. She tightened her fingers around mine, and it was the most amazing thing I had felt since the day of the reaping. We walked back to my house like that, hand in hand. I didn't even try to wipe the smile off my face.

When we got to my house, I led her past my bedroom upstairs and into my makeshift art studio. No one had seen that room before, and I suddenly felt very self-conscious about it. It was strange. Even though everything about the Games had been on live television, I still felt like it was private. I scanned row after row of canvases on the walls briefly then examined her face.

She let go of my hand and started walking around the room to get a closer look. There was the lake next to the Cornucopia, Ember sitting at the mouth of the cave, little Rue in the training center, and then there were the dark ones. The mutt's angry eyes glowing in the dark of the cave, Cato and Marie leaning over Clove's body, Thresh waiting for me, Thresh attacking me… I had to look away, but she kept looking at the bloody images. I couldn't imagine why until I heard her pick one up. I turned around to see her holding my most recent painting.

She looked at me. "Is this..?"

I nodded, a little embarrassed. "It's the meadow by your house. That's Prim in the background swinging and you sitting on the grass when we were talking."

She turned her gaze back to the painting and traced her fingers across the tiny purple flowers. So low that I almost couldn't hear it, she said, "It's beautiful, Peeta."

Then I did something probably more reckless than anything I had done in the arena. I lifted my hand and slowly brushed the hair back from her face. Her gray eyes gazed into mine with a look I could only call longing and I imagined mine looked the same. I slowly leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. She was shocked at first, but then she started kissing me back. It started out slow, but then I slowly traced her spine with one hand and I felt her lock her fingers in my curls. I couldn't believe she was actually kissing me like that. All I knew is that I wouldn't be the first one to pull away.

We only stopped when we needed air. I gently traced her jaw line with my right hand and held her hand with my left. Her eyes were closed, with that small smile on her lips. Just like last time. But then, also just like last time, the spell was broken. Her eyes widened as she looked at me and then at our hands.

Before I even knew what was happening, she backed away from me. I took a step forward to follow her and started, "Katniss, please—"

She cut me off before I could even finish a sentence. "Don't!" she screamed. "You, I mean, we... We shouldn't have done that! I just…"

She trailed off in the middle of her rant and fled from the room. I cursed as I tossed the painting aside and ran until I caught up with her at the door. She was pacing across the porch when I slung the door open. My voice was practically at a yell when I gasped, "Katniss, I love you!" I was watching for her reaction, but she didn't turn around. I lowered my voice and said, "Please… don't run away from me."

She slowly turned to look at me, and I swear I saw a tear roll down her cheek. She didn't come back though. She turned around did the very thing I had begged her not to do.

She left.

Playlist

Adore by Paramore

Trying to Stop Your Leaving by Dierks Bentley


	13. Up in Flames

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Katniss**

Two months had passed since my fight with Gale and the kiss with Peeta. It was a long and utterly miserable two months because I hadn't seen either of them. School was going again, and Peeta wasn't there anymore. Gale graduated and was working in the coal mines. Basically, I was alone.

I couldn't help but see the irony in my situation. The two different extremes had resulted in the same outcome. There was only one difference: one of them was my fault, and I knew it.

After spending the summer doing nothing but getting to know Peeta, I should have been over what happened in the past. But when he kissed me… it was nothing short of amazing. The passion that only Peeta had ever been able to ignite was so strong. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to feel his hands pressing against my back and his fingers running through my hair. However, as soon as we pulled away, the only thing I could think about was the way he treated me after our first kiss. So I ran away before he had the chance to do it again.

Even though there was a rift between us, I was still worried about him. His mental state had been improving enormously, and I was afraid of what I had done to change that. Every time I went to the bakery to trade with his father, he wasn't there. I asked about him once and his father said he wasn't working as often as he used to. Since he was only working because he wanted to, he got to dictate his schedule. Soon I realized that he was still working, just not when he expected me to be there.

I sent Prim to the bakery at least twice a week to check on him. She was on Peeta's side, of course, so she happily obliged and always gave me a full report. Her report usually ended with a guilt trip that never failed to outdo the previous one. The worst part was I knew she was right.

A few weeks ago, she came back with news that he had left for the Victory Tour. My heart sank when I realized the next time I would see him would be when the tour ended here in District 12. I made a promise to myself that, no matter what, I would see him when he got back. I didn't care if I had to lock him in a room, we were going to talk. Until then, I had to find a way to fix things with my best friend.

Gale and I were used to fighting. Our fiery personalities would always clash now and then, but this time was different. He wasn't even going into the woods in the mornings anymore. He had to be hunting to feed his family, but, like Peeta, he seemed to be scheduling around me.

By the time Peeta arrived in District 12, I was more than frustrated. I hadn't made any progress with Gale, and now Peeta was back. I scanned the crowd in the town square while we all waited for the festivities to begin. Gale was standing about a hundred yards away from me, glaring at the stage impatiently. I looked at him for a moment longer, willing him to turn his head. He didn't, of course. After all the effort I had put in to fix our friendship, he had never even tried. Fine, I thought, if that's the way he wants it, two can play that game. I defiantly turned my head to the stage and watched Haymitch, Effie Trinket, and Peeta take their places.

I didn't hear anything Peeta said during his pre-planned speech. All I could see was the way his eyes were focused on the ground, his forehead was wrinkled in what looked like frustration, and his words were emotionless. I suspected Laurel's family was the source of his anxiety. They were standing right in front of the stage. Two small, dark-haired children clung to their parents' legs, and the man and woman looked like they either wanted to cry or curse at him. Fortunately for Peeta, Peacekeepers lined the stage and occasionally shot them threatening looks, so they maintained a careful composure while he spoke.

After the ceremony ended, the lavish Capitol party began. I told my mother and Prim that I wasn't feeling well, which wasn't entirely a lie, and left. As the Seam became visible in the distance, the sounds of the celebrations began to fade. After a few more minutes, the only thing I could hear was the sound of crickets chirping and an owl in the distance. My head became clearer with each step I took. I was rehearsing different conversations with both Peeta and Gale in my head as I walked.

"_Gale, I'm sorry for saying you were jealous of Peeta."_ I frowned. I wasn't sorry for what I said, only for the consequences it created.

"_Peeta, I know I left you after we had an amazing kiss and you said you loved me, but can we talk now?" _It sounded pathetic even in my mind.

My house was only a few yards away. When I got closer, I noticed something. There was someone sitting on the porch. When I got closer, I recognized his form immediately.

"Gale? What are you doing here?"

**Gale**

I raised my head to see Katniss standing in front of me, her arms crossed over her chest. I was planning to wait for her to get back from the banquet for Peeta so that we could talk. I knew if I didn't talk to her before she got to be alone with Peeta, nothing I had to say would matter.

The last two months were the longest two months of my life. Not hearing her voice or seeing her waiting for me in the woods had nearly driven me insane. I just couldn't face her after our fight. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that she ran straight to him and let him comfort her while she ranted about her insensitive best friend. The Victory Tour was my one chance to talk to her without him being around, but I had blown that too. Tonight was my last chance.

"Waiting for you. Why aren't you at the banquet?"

"Didn't feel well."

She tried to look apathetic, but she wasn't fooling me. There was another reason why she didn't stay with Peeta. I knew that pushing the issue would only make her angry all over again, so I just stared at the tattered, wooden porch steps.

After a few seconds, she cleared her throat. "Would you like to go inside?"

I nodded and followed her. She took a seat at the kitchen table and I did the same. There was so much I needed to say, but I wasn't sure how to start. I figured apologizing would be as good a place as any.

"Katniss, I'm sorry about what I said. I meant it, but I still shouldn't have said it. I feel like all we do is apologize to each other lately, and I hate it. The last two months were awful, and I just… miss you."

I felt relief course through me after I said the words I had been rehearsing for weeks. Of course, I would have added a few things in my unedited version. Like how Peeta was the reason our relationship was constantly strained. That would have gotten me real far.

I studied her face carefully for a reaction. She remained silent for so long that I was about to start talking again.

Finally, she said, "I'm sorry too. When did everything between us become so complicated? I want my best friend back."

Everything became complicated when I realized I might lose her. What I didn't know was that I already had. Peeta had become a significant part of her life that I could never erase. But I didn't tell her that.

I said, "I want that more than anything, but I don't think it's that easy."

She looked confused, so I continued, "Can't you see? We can never be just best friends anymore. There are too many things getting in the way."

I was trying really hard to keep his name out of it because it would only set her off. Still, she could sense the implications.

"Can't we just forget about everything that's getting in the way and go back to being us?"

I almost laughed, but not because what she said was funny. I was supposed to just forget that every time she left me, she was going to see _him_. She thought I could just turn my feelings off because they were inconvenient. No amount of ignoring the circumstances was going to change anything between us. They were a part of "us".

I slammed my fist on the table, making her jump. "Stop acting like we can just erase everything that has happened! As long as Peeta is a part of your life, we can never be the same again and you know it."

As soon as I said the words, I wanted to take them back. That wasn't what I had planned to say at all. Once again, she had found away to get under my skin and burn up my patience. I could tell she was angry before she even replied. I expected her to defend Peeta or to yell at me for being jealous again. What I wasn't expecting was what she said next.

"Then you should be happy to know that Peeta isn't a part of my life anymore! He isn't even speaking to me."

She was trying to stay strong, but I could see how much every word hurt her. Still, it was news to me.

My voice automatically became softer in response to the change in her demeanor. I asked, "What happened?"

She hastily wiped a tear from her eye before it could even fall, but I saw it.

"That's not important. The point is he hasn't been around for a long time, and I don't expect that to change. So why can't you just let it go?"

Another tear rolled down her cheek, but she didn't move to stop it. I walked around the table and crouched next to her. Brushing my hand across her cheek, I said, "_This_ is why I can't let it go. No matter what happened between the two of you, he still has a hold on you. I can't pretend I'm okay with that."

She couldn't even look me in the eye when she whispered, "I know."

A sense of urgency flooded through me because I could feel the conversation coming to a close. I was seconds away from losing her. Whatever happened between her and Peeta wouldn't last forever. He was a lot of things, but he couldn't be stupid enough to let her go without a fight. I wasn't.

I slowly took both of her hands in mine and waited for her to meet my gaze. When she finally did, the pain in her eyes was almost tangible.

I murmured, "Katniss, I love you. I didn't stop loving you just because we stopped trying to force something to exist between us. I want you to be mine. I can't just be your best friend anymore. Please try to understand that."

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything the front door creaked open. We both turned our heads to see the very last person I wanted to see standing in the doorway.

She gasped, "Peeta!"

She looked like she wanted to rush into his arms, but she didn't. When I looked at his face I saw what held her back. The phrase if looks could kill ran through my mind. Masked behind his anger, however, was a pain that I understood all too well.

He looked at only her and, through clenched teeth, said, "I thought we needed to talk, but I can see that there's nothing left to talk about."

With one last look, he turned on his heels and walked out the door. It took less than a second for Katniss to jump out of her chair and run after him. When I heard her strangled voice screaming his name, I knew any chance I had with her was gone forever.

Playlist

The Story Of Us by Taylor Swift

Before We Come Undone by Kris Allen


	14. Now or Never

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Peeta**

Katniss and I spent the perfect summer together, and I thought I would never have to face another nightmare without her. She had unknowingly saved my life.

After two months without her in my life, I knew something had to change. I had planned to find her and make her hear me out the day I left for the Victory Tour, but Effie showed up and ushered me into a hovercraft before I got the chance.

The first thing I did when the ceremonies ended in District 12 was go to her house. I thought I knew what a broken heart felt like, but when I walked through the door and saw her with him… I couldn't stand it. I should have known she would have run straight to him after leaving me.

Before I even made it down the steps of her porch, she was there screaming my name.

"Peeta! Come back!"

I should have walked away and never looked back. The last thing I should have done was give her the chance to break what was left of me. But despite what my head was telling me, I stopped. I waited in the middle of the road for her to catch up to me.

When she did, I was shocked by what I saw. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and her eyes had deep black shadows under them as if she didn't sleep the night before. She was a mess. Once again, my heart won out over reason and I took her in my arms. She didn't hesitate to return my embrace.

She felt so small in my arms. I tightened my hold on her when I realized she was crying. Sobbing, really. I placed one hand on the back of her head while she cried into my chest. Her whole body was shaking. I didn't know what to say, or even why she was so upset, so I just held her until she pulled away. Sniffling, she said, "We need to talk. Now."

I didn't think she was in any condition to talk. She looked like what she really needed was sleep. I kept my hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Are you sure? It can wait. I'm not going anywhere."

A brief flicker of guilt flashed in her eyes. She shook her head quickly. "No, we've already waited too long. I want to talk right now."

I studied her for a minute. She had obviously made up her mind, so there was no use in trying to reason with her. I sighed, "Okay, let's go to my house."

She took a step, but then abruptly stopped. She remembered at the same time I did that Gale was still there. She looked at me apologetically. "Can you give me a minute?"

I nodded and watched her walk up the stairs and reach for the door. Before she could open it, however, Gale was standing there. She started to say something, but he interrupted her.

"There's nothing to explain. Just go."

With that, he walked away. She stared at his retreating figure for a moment but then returned to my side. She said, "Let's go."

I followed her without a word.

**Katniss**

My resolve was wavering by the time we reached Victor's Village. What if Peeta didn't want to be with me anymore? After what I did, I had no right to expect him to care about what I had to say. I glanced at him. He was staring at the ground with that same crease in his forehead. We walked up the steps and into his house. I followed him to the dark blue, leather couch in the living room. Neither of us said anything for a few minutes. I was afraid of what the consequences might be for my words.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore. The words flew out of my mouth, "I'm sorry for leaving. You have no idea how many times I've wanted to take everything back for the last two months. Please tell me you believe me when I say I'm truly sorry."

His eyes narrowed so slightly that I barely noticed, even though we were sitting quite close. He looked as if he was trying to determine if I really meant it. After a moment, his face relaxed. He said, "I believe you. I just want to know why you did it and why I walked in your house tonight and found you with Gale."

That was the exactly what I didn't want to talk about. I started with the easy part of his question.

"Gale was there when I got home. I'm guessing he wanted to talk to me before I was able to see you. He was apologizing for our fight."

He raised an eyebrow. "Your fight?"

Right, he didn't know anything about what happened with Gale. I quickly explained, "We got in a fight on the morning of the day I saw you last. Tonight was the first time we have spoken since then."

He contemplated what I said before continuing. "So that's what he was doing when I walked in? Because it looked like there was more to it than that."

I bit the corner of my lip. He needed to know the truth. "Actually, he was telling me that he loved me and wanted me back. He said you were the reason we couldn't be friends anymore."

Unsurprised by my answer, he asked, "And what did you tell him?"

"I didn't tell him anything. You walked in before I had the chance."

I could tell he was afraid to ask the inevitable question. He looked as if he was preparing himself for battle when he finally said, "Do you love him back? Because if that's what you want, I don't want you to feel like you have to stay here with me."

The pain of what he was suggesting hit us both. I quickly determined that leaving Peeta was not something I could do again. So, with complete certainty, I said, "No, I don't love him. And I don't feel like I have to stay here with you. I _want_ to be here."

When he smiled, it was like all the pain we both felt for the last two months had never even existed. Every word I said was true. However, I knew there was another issue that couldn't be ignored any longer.

As if he were reading my mind, he said, "I still need to know why you left."

Taking a deep breath, I said the words that could potentially ruin everything, "You kissed me when we were fourteen years old, and I felt happier than I had been in years. But the next day at school, you wouldn't even look at me." I paused long enough to let my words sink in, then added, "I didn't want to give you another chance to do the same thing again so I left."

I stared at my hands in my lap. I didn't want him to see the emotions playing across my face as I relived the embarrassing memory. He took one of my hands in his, and I looked at him.

"Katniss, I couldn't bear to look at you because I thought the kiss meant nothing to you. When you left the bakery, I saw you walking away with Gale. What was I supposed to think? Everyone at school thought you two were together, and there you were laughing with him just seconds after the most amazing moment of my life. I was too embarrassed to talk to you again. Besides, the last thing I wanted to do was give Gale Hawthorne a reason to hate me."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "So you didn't ignore me because you were too ashamed to be seen with someone from the Seam?"

His mouth fell open in shock. "Oh, no, Katniss… Is that really what you thought?"

I nodded, and the regret he felt was obvious. His piercing blue eyes softened, and he said, "I would have announced to the whole school I was in love with you if I thought you even felt close to the same way about me. If you remember, I did tell all of Panem." We both laughed at the memory that once infuriated me. "Nothing could ever make me ashamed of you, Katniss."

I could feel the tears stinging my eyes again but quickly wiped them away with my free hand. I had to make him understand that Gale wasn't a factor in my anger for him over the years.

"You saw me leaving with Gale because he was there trading with me. I thought he had already left, but he was waiting for me when I went outside. I was never dating Gale. He's never been anything more than my best friend. You're the only one I…"

My words caught in my throat when I realized what I was about to say. He gently wiped away a tear that had escaped from my eyes. His face was only inches away from mine. I could feel his breath as he whispered, "I'm the only one you what?"

I gulped. It was now or never and after the time I had spent pretending it was wasn't true, I knew it had to be now. "You're the only one I love."

I pressed my lips against his before he could respond. Every bit of passion I had held in for the last two months was released in that one kiss.

My heart was racing, and I clung to him even tighter. A kind of hunger that I had never felt before was threatening to take over. When Peeta pulled away, everything in me protested for more.

We looked into each other's eyes, gasping for air. With a serious expression on his face, he said, "If you're going to run away, please do it now because I don't think I could handle it if you left after another kiss like that."

I grinned and said, "I'm never leaving you again."

We kissed again, but this time he whispered against my lips, "I love you."

I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder. I wanted to stay in that moment forever. Before I knew it, he gently moved and was standing in front of me. I was confused until he scooped me up into his arms. I laughed, "What are you doing?"

He said, "As much as I would like to spend the rest of the night kissing you, it's getting late and we both need sleep." He laughed at my pout. Suddenly his eyes lit up. He tentatively asked, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

I nodded and laughed some more as he carried me up the stairs and into his bedroom. After laying me down on the bed, he crawled under the covers next to me. I let my head rest on his chest, and he hugged me closer to him. He kissed the top of my head and murmured, "I love you."

I whispered, "I love you too."

The words felt so natural, as if I was born to say them. After years of thinking love was something I would never feel for anyone other than my family, Peeta Mellark had finally proven me wrong. In that moment, I didn't care about the risks I was taking. As long as Peeta was by my side, every one of them was worth it. Right before drifting into a peaceful sleep, I smiled and thought, _"The odds are finally in my favor tonight."_

Playlist

True by Ryan Cabrera

Just A Kiss by Lady Antebellum

The Only Exception by Paramore


	15. Just Say Yes

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**-6 months later-**

"Breakfast is ready!"

I groaned and placed the pillow firmly over my head. I loved staying the night at Peeta's house, but I did not agree with what he considered to be an acceptable time to wake up. I waited until he yelled again, and forced myself out of bed. I had to go hunting anyway. I could hear Peeta laughing as I trudged down the stairs.

Irritated, I asked, "What is so funny?"

That sent him laughing again. "You. You're always funny when you first wake up. By the way, I love the new hairstyle."

I scowled at him and smoothed down my hair. "Breakfast better be good if you plan on redeeming yourself."

I walked into the kitchen to see a plate of freshly baked cheese buns. He knew they were my favorite.

"Is this good enough to deserve your forgiveness?"

He gave me a jokingly pleading look. I couldn't help but smile when I thought about how we weren't really that different from the two fourteen-year-old kids in his family's bakery so long ago.

"Fine. You're forgiven."

We settled into the couch and ate in silence for a few minutes. He looked like he was concentrating on something.

"What are you thinking about?"

He gave me that apologetic smile that I knew meant I would regret asking. "I was thinking about Gale."

I almost choked on the bite I had just swallowed. Of all the things he could have said, I was not expecting that.

I cautiously asked, "What about Gale?"

"You haven't seen him since the night I got back from the Victory Tour, right?"

"Right." I said. I wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"I just feel bad. He has been your best friend for years, and I feel like I ruined that. He was right about me."

I sat down my cheese bun and said, "Peeta, look at me."

He met my gaze with a guilty expression. I continued, "Gale was not right about you. He doesn't even know you. If you remember, I was the one who made the choice. You have nothing to feel bad about. I knew what I was doing when I let him walk away."

He smiled and ran his fingers across my forehead, brushing away some loose hair.

"Thank you for saying that. I still think you should try to talk to him. I know it bothers you that you don't see him anymore. You can't just erase years of friendship like that."

I did miss Gale a lot, but there was nothing I could do about it. It seemed impossible for us to be friends without anything else getting in the way.

He repeated my earlier question, "What are you thinking about?"

I sighed. "I'm thinking that you're right, as usual. But he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore."

"You don't know that."

"It's pretty obvious that he is avoiding me. It's been six months, and I haven't seen him once. District 12 isn't a very big place, Peeta."

He said, "Even if he is avoiding you, I don't think he wants to avoid you forever. I know you'll find a way to fix it."

I scowled. "Right. Because I'm just so good at fixing things."

He laughed and put his arm around me. "I think you did a good job of fixing us."

I turned my head and gave him a peck on the lips. "_That _was not a hard job."

We both laughed, and I briefly considered skipping my hunting trip. I knew it wasn't an option though. We were running low on meat, and my mother and Prim would be expecting more today.

"I have to go hunting today. You can come to my house tonight if you want to. I'm sure Prim would love to see you."

He smiled. "I would love to."

Peeta and my sister were so much alike that they became friends instantly. I was almost jealous of the way her eyes lit up when she saw him with me. As much as I loved her, we had never had a lot in common. However, it was nice that my family liked him so much.

After taking my dishes to the sink and putting on my shoes, we were standing on the porch.

"I'll see you later, then?"

He pulled me close and whispered in my ear. "Yes, I'll be there."

He kissed me goodbye, and I had to make myself leave.

When I got to the woods, I couldn't stop thinking about what Peeta said. After all the years of hunting together, I couldn't go to the woods without thinking of Gale. I was carrying back my haul when I saw him. He was sitting on our rock at the edge of the woods, tossing pebbles across the field. I wanted to turn around, but he noticed me before I could. We stared each other down for a minute before he finally scooted over and made room for me. I slowly sat down next to him, unsure what to do next.

He finally said, "How's Peeta? Prim says you two are pretty serious."

Prim? Of course. Prim spent most of her time with Rory. I made a mental note to tell her to stay out of my problems with Gale.

"Peeta is fine. Nice to know you've been getting updates about me while I didn't even know if you were still in the same district."

He halfway grinned. "You could have asked Prim, she's a very reliable source."

I rolled my eyes. "So you've been using my sister as a source, but you won't talk to me?"

"You haven't exactly made an effort to talk to me either, but I understand why."

I would have been angrier if I hadn't been expecting his assumption. "Peeta has nothing to do with it. He actually told me just this morning that he feels guilty and wanted me to talk to you. So if you're going to be mad at someone, be mad at me."

He studied me for a moment. "Peeta really wanted you to talk to me?"

I nodded. "He's not a bad person, Gale. He blames himself for everything."

Gale mumbled something that I didn't catch. When I asked, he simply said, "Doesn't matter."

I glared at him but let it go. "So can we be friends again?"

He stared at the ground for a minute. "Yes, I think we can be friends again."

I threw my arms around him in relief. "Thank you."

When he pulled away, he said, "One more thing."

I asked, "What?"

"Let's promise to wait at least another year or two before we stop talking again. I'm tired of making up."

I laughed, "Deal."

As he stood up he said, "There's something I need to tell you, since you haven't been keeping tabs on me through Prim or anything."

I raised my eyebrows. "What?"

He gave me a small smile. "I'm dating Madge."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Madge Undersee?"

He nodded. "We've been together for about three months now."

I thought about that for a minute. I guess it made sense. She had always watched him a little too closely when we brought the strawberries over to her house.

Finally, I smiled. "I'm really happy for you, Gale."

He smiled back. "Me too."

As we walked away, I finally felt like everything was the way it should be.

**-2 years later-**

I was practically bouncing with excitement the whole morning. Hazelle laughed every time she saw me.

"A little anxious, dear?"

I smiled. Peeta left a little over a month ago to mentor with Haymitch in the Hunger Games, and he was finally on his way back to District 12. I knew he would be back that night, and I couldn't wait to see him. I could barely focus on my work.

After I graduated from high school a year ago, I started helping Hazelle with her laundry business. It worked for both of us. She needed the help, and I preferred washing clothes to working in the mines or being a healer.

When the afternoon finally came and we were finished, I hugged her quickly and walked the short distance to my house. When I got there, I found a note lying on my bed. I recognized the handwriting immediately.

Katniss,

I'm back in District 12. I would have waited for you until you got home, but I need time to prepare my surprise. Come to my house in an hour. I can't wait to see you.

Love,

Peeta

I looked at the table next to my bed. 4:00. He wanted me to wait an hour? I dramatically flung myself on the bed, thinking about how he would laugh if he had seen me. He knew my patience was practically nonexistent. His surprise better be worth it, I thought to myself.

The next time I glanced at the clock, it was 5:30. I jumped out of bed, cursing myself for falling asleep. I yelled goodbye to Prim and ran out the door. The twenty minute walk to Victor's Village seemed to take hours. I hurriedly knocked on his door and waited impatiently.

As soon as he opened it, I practically tackled him. We fell onto the couch, both of us laughing. Smiling, he pulled me in for a kiss. It was one of those kisses that left us both wanting more when it ended. Peeta stood up, and I was about to protest until he placed a finger over my lips.

"We'll have time for that later. Come with me."

I looked suspiciously at his extended hand. "You know I hate surprises."

He reached down and grabbed my hand. As he pulled me off the couch, he said, "It's not like I'm leading you over a cliff! Just come with me."

"Fine." I grumbled.

He laughed at my expression and led me into the kitchen. My complaints were forgotten the second I saw what was sitting on the table. There was a meal that looked and smelled more delicious than I anything I had ever seen. I quickly surveyed the spread. I didn't recognize anything.

"What is all of this, Peeta?"

He pulled a chair out for me to sit. "It's a little something I picked up from the chefs at the Capitol. One of them offered to teach me a few recipes while the tributes were training."

I stared at him in amazement. I figured cooking had been his way of dealing with the stress. It was strange to me, but I certainly wasn't going to complain. "So what is all of it exactly?"

"This," he pointed at the bowl in front of me, "is lamb stew. It was one of my favorite dishes. Then we have macaroni, mashed potatoes, and bread sticks."

I smiled as I thought of how Peeta must have looked when he first saw these strange bread sticks. They appeared to have some sort of seasoning on top. All of it looked absolutely delicious. I tasted each thing before beginning to eat.

"This is so amazing, Peeta. Thank you."

He grinned, "Was it worth the wait?"

"Well, I didn't say that…" I laughed when he pretended to be offended.

I told him about everything that had happened in his absence, which was a whole lot of nothing, and he told me about his tributes. I held his hand and listened intently while he relived the emotional horrors of the last month. I knew it would take awhile for the distant look in his eyes to leave, just like last year, but I was prepared to wait. When both of us were finished, I stood up to go to the living room. Peeta grabbed my hand and said, "Wait."

I gave him a questioning look, but he just said, "Sit down for a minute. I'll be right back."

I obediently sat back down in the wooden chair and watched as he ran upstairs to his room. He was gone for at least five minutes, and I was about to go check on him when he finally came back. He stood in front of me and took a deep breath. I jokingly said, "You look like you're about to throw up. What is it, Peeta?"

He gave me a nervous laugh before kneeling in front of me. Looking at him on one knee, I suddenly knew why he was so nervous.

"I thought I loved you when I was five years old, but I had no idea how important you would become to me. You have put me back together and saved my life more times than I can count. I love you so much, and, by some miracle, you love me back. We have had some difficult times, but I'd rather fight with you every day than live one day without you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Katniss Everdeen, will you marry me?"

I couldn't even speak for a few seconds. I stared at him, mouth open. He started to say something, but I interrupted him.

"Yes!"

The relief flooded across his face, and he wrapped his arms around me for a passionate kiss. When we pulled away, he slipped a ring onto my left hand. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I gasped, "Where did you get this?"

He gave me my favorite lopsided smile. "Effie knows a thing or two about jewelry."

I smiled, "It's beautiful. Thank you."

He kissed me again. "I would do anything for you."

I thought of something suddenly. "Hmm... Katniss Mellark. It does have a nice ring to it."

He gave me a huge grin and said, "You have no idea how good that sounds to me."


	16. The Rest of Our Lives

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Hunger Games-related belongs to Suzanne Collins. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Hunger Games franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**A/N This is the final chapter of Playing With The Odds. I can't even begin to say how sorry I am for how long it took me to write this. I have the very best readers and reviewers in the world, and I would like to thank each and every one of you. You've helped to inspire me and make me a better writer with each review. So I hope you enjoy this last chapter! :')**

**Katniss**

"Katniss, it's nearly ten o'clock! People are going to be here soon and you need to get ready! Get up!"

Prim's anxious voice would have sent me into action on any other day, but instead I pulled a pillow down over my face and groaned. It was no ordinary day because I was getting married. I had barely had time to process it before everything started falling together. The date was set for early summer, my dress was ordered from a book Effie Trinket sent for Peeta, the guest list was made, and the toasting was arranged all within the blink of an eye. I mostly had Prim to thank. She was the best maid of honor anyone could ask for.

"Katniss, I'm serious! The wedding starts at two, and we have a lot to do before then!" Her voice was crossing the line from worry into full-blown panic, and I knew it was time for me to do something.

"I'm coming!" I yelled. "Calm down!"

She sighed, clearly frustrated, but walked away anyway. I had to chuckle as I heard her stomp down the hallway and start giving mother instructions about how the flowers were to be arranged. Her usual bubbly personality was all business when it came to my wedding. Sometimes I thought she was more excited about me marrying Peeta than I was. She was only sixteen, but she had a way of getting things done.

Following Prim's orders, I fumbled into the bathroom and showered. I brushed my teeth and washed my face but did nothing else to get ready. Even if I tried to put my hair in its usual braid, Prim would make me take it down. So I left my hair hanging loosely down my back and stepped into the living room.

To say that it was chaos would be a complete understatement. Flowers covered every flat surface of the living room and the kitchen, the bridesmaid dresses were hanging in the doorway, and at least four bags of bows were sitting by the door. The flowers were all orange and white and the bows were made of a pale orange silk. The only request I had given Prim was the color scheme. Orange was Peeta's favorite color, like the sunset. Prim was hesitant at first. She had originally envisioned lots of pink, but she quickly obliged once she found what she considered the _perfect _shade.

I busied myself with examining a flower, and Prim finally took notice of me. "Oh good, you're done!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up with a bright smile. "And you even remembered to wear a button up shirt so it doesn't mess up your hair! Now sit down over here so mother can get started."

I followed her to the only vacant kitchen chair and sat while mother went to work on my hair. After a stretch of silence interrupted only by Prim's occasional rant, mother asked, "Are you nervous?"

Biting the corner of my lip, I answered, "A little."

It wasn't that I was having second thoughts about marrying Peeta. It was the actual ceremony I was worried about. I had been to a wedding once when a friend of my mother's got married. At the time, I was very young and didn't really understand the concept. But like every other wedding in District 12, it was pretty low-key. No one ever makes a big deal about weddings here. Until now, of course.

All I wanted was to sign the papers at the Justice Building and to do a traditional toasting with our families, but Prim wasn't having that. I told her we couldn't afford a big wedding, but I made the mistake of saying that in front of Peeta. Of course he immediately offered to cover everything, saying that he had more money than he knew what to do with from his victory in the Hunger Games. I had scowled at him but finally agreed when I saw Prim's excited face.

"It's normal to be nervous," my mother said. "I was terrified the day I married your father."

"Really?" I asked, truly surprised. She had said very little about him since the accident, and even this small piece of information piqued my curiosity.

"Oh yes," she said with a small laugh. My mother rarely laughed, but she looked at least ten years younger when she did.

"Why were you scared?" I asked, hoping she would continue. I always loved hearing about my father, and talking was doing a lot to help my own nerves.

"His mother," she answered immediately. I was stunned into silence at first, but then we both burst into laughter. First because I had heard many stories about my late grandmother's antics and second because I could relate. She continued, "I'm joking, of course. Although she did give me reason to be anxious, I was mostly nervous for the usual reasons that accompany marriage."

After I managed to catch my breath from laughing, I asked, "What did she do at the wedding?"

"Well," she began. "She came over to my house three hours before it started to make sure we had everything 'just right' and then broke down crying during the service because I was stealing her little boy!"

I laughed a little, and she continued. "Don't get me wrong, honey. She was a wonderful woman who loved her son very much. She just had an… unusual way of showing it."

I rolled my eyes, thinking of my own soon to be mother-in-law. "I know what you mean," I grumbled.

We would be lucky if Peeta's mother even showed up. She wasn't overprotective; that would be better. She was just downright rude. The only time Peeta had taken me with him to visit her, she had done everything short of kicking me out of her house.

"Mrs. Mellark has never been known for her subtlety," my mother said, sounding almost amused. Peeta once told me his father's version of what took place between his parents and mine years ago. The shared history of our families made our relationship impossibly ironic.

My mother's voice roused me from my thoughts. "Regardless of her opinion, Peeta loves you. Anyone can see that. So try not to worry about his mother, dear. Maybe she'll come around someday."

"Maybe," I said, not the slightest bit hopeful that it would actually happen. It would be nice if she did come around, but it was also very unlikely.

With a gentle squeeze of my shoulders, mother said my hair was finished. I stood to look in the mirror she handed me and gasped at what I saw. The top part of my hair was intricately braided with tiny, white flowers weaved throughout the strands, and the rest of my hair was cascading gently down my back in flowing waves. The white flowers created a brilliant contrast with my dark hair.

"What do you think?" she asked.

I turned around and hugged her in response. "It's beautiful," I whispered. "Thank you."

She squeezed my shoulders and said, "You're welcome. Now you had better go to your room because I think I see Madge and Delly coming."

I looked and saw that she was right. My two other bridesmaids were making their way through the Seam and quickly approaching my house. When Prim asked me who else I would like to be a bridesmaid, they were the obvious choices. Madge was my only friend from school as well as Gale's girlfriend, and Delly was Peeta's oldest childhood friend. During the years Peeta and I spent together, she had also become a close friend to me. Delly was even more unbelievably optimistic than Peeta, and that wasn't easy to do. By the time they reached the door, I was waiting for them on the edge of my bed.

"Hey guys," I said as they entered the room.

Madge smiled brightly, and Delly gasped. "Katniss, your hair!"

I couldn't help but smile as she fussed over it. With undeniable pride in my voice, I told them it was my mother who braided it.

"She did a lovely job," Madge said with a genuine smile.

"Yes, she did," Delly added. "And now it's time to do your makeup! Come on Madge, let's get started!"

I groaned. "Is that really necessary? Peeta knows what I look like."

Delly leaned down to make eye contact with me. "Yes, Katniss. It is necessary. It's your wedding day, and you are going to look absolutely stunning. Now stop complaining so Madge can work!"

I sighed and resigned myself to wait as Madge began to apply the makeup her mother ordered straight from the Capitol. "Not too much," I warned her. "I don't want to look like those girls in the magazines."

"Don't worry," Madge smiled reassuringly. "I wouldn't dare."

With Delly's careful supervision, Madge finished in about half an hour. Both of them smiled brightly as I stared in my reflection in the mirror. I really was beautiful. Madge had paid attention to my request to ignore the crazy trends of the Capitol and simply used the makeup to accentuate my natural features.

"So, what do you think?" Delly asked.

"You did a great job," I said, smiling at Madge.

She replied, "Thank you! It was actually a lot of fun."

Everything happened quickly after that. Prim left with my mother to set up, and Delly and Madge finished getting ready. After about an hour, mother and Prim returned to change into their dresses. Prim was appalled that I was the only one not wearing mine yet and ushered me into my room before I could even ask how the decorations turned out. As I unzipped the bag my dress was hanging in, I simply stood there once again in awe of its beauty. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I've admittedly never been someone who cared about the latest fashions, but this dress caught my attention for some reason I couldn't explain. I carefully removed it from the hanger and looked at the tag. It was designed by a man named Cinna. According to Peeta's escort Effie, he was _"absolutely the best."_

The dress was sleeveless with a line of pearls along the top. It was, of course, white. Not everyone in District 12 always wears white, but apparently it's an essential tradition in the Capitol. It was fitted around my waist but flowed down to my ankles and out into a short train. Simple, yet perfect.

Dressed, makeup on, and hair done, I stepped out into the living room to see everyone waiting for me. They all fell silent, and I began to worry I had forgotten to do something important when Prim stepped forward and caught me in an embrace.

"You look so beautiful," she said.

"You do too, little duck," I said, smiling at her. Madge had painted a soft blush on her pale cheeks that complimented the light orange dress she was wearing. She looked much older than sixteen.

"Are you ready?" mother asked.

I sighed nervously and Prim smiled reassuringly.

"Yes, I am."

The wedding was in the field at the edge of the Seam. The guests from the Capitol wanted a much bigger affair in the town square or the Justice Building, but Peeta and I agreed that the field would be more appropriate. It was the most attractive place in the Seam, and it looked even better in June with flowers still blooming and the grass a bright green. As we approached, it became obvious this was no small event. Practically everyone who frequented the Hob was sitting there in the chairs with bows wrapped around them, along with most of my neighbors. Greasy Sae sat next to Gale and his family a few rows from the front. On Peeta's side, there were lots of people I recognized as regular customers at the bakery and other store owners. Even his mother was in attendance, sitting next to his father. His adoring fans in the Capitol were not allowed to attend, but his prep team and stylist stood out among the crowd. Effie and Haymitch sat in the row behind them.

"This is it," Prim said, turning to me. "Are you ready to start?"

"I think so," I said.

She quickly assessed me before finally saying, "Don't worry about the people. Just look at Peeta. Oh, and don't trip."

I laughed, and said, "Okay, I'll try."

With that, she signaled to Peeta's youngest brother that we were ready to start. He nodded and disappeared behind the white veil that served as our backdrop. Then Peeta stepped out, followed by his two brothers and Finnick Odair, who was possibly the most famous victor. He and Peeta had become good friends after two years of mentoring.

Soft music began to play, and Posy walked down the aisle spreading white flower petals. The bridesmaids were the next to go. As I watched them, my pulse began to race wildly. Remembering Prim's advice, I looked at Peeta. And when I did, my heart nearly stopped. His face was lit up in a breathtaking smile and his eyes were the same deep blue ones I looked into that fateful day of the reaping four years ago. Except, this time, they were smiling too.

My mother appeared at my side and wrapped her arm through mine.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

I nodded my head and let her guide me down the aisle and place my hand in Peeta's. Everyone sat down, and the ceremony began. I know, or at least I assume, the man from the Justice Building repeated the traditional lines. I didn't hear a word he said because I was too busy trying not to cry. I almost laughed when I thought of all the times I had scowled at people who became emotional at weddings. Looking into Peeta's misty eyes shattered every bit of resolve I had, and I did laugh a little when Peeta reached up to catch a stray tear on my cheek.

Then came the part when I knew I would have to speak. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. In what surprisingly wasn't an intelligible mumble, I recited the vows it had taken me at least three months to write.

"Peeta, you are quite possibly the only person in the world who could have me standing in front of the whole town wearing a dress. That in itself is an accomplishment." Everyone laughed and nodded their heads in agreement. Peeta grinned, and I continued, "But kidding aside, I honestly love you. You always know exactly what to say to make me smile. I can be having the worst day of my life, and it all changes as soon as I see you. My heart has been yours since we were fourteen years old, even if it took me awhile to realize it. I'm so happy to be spending the rest of my life with you. Do you take this ring as a symbol of my love?"

"I do," he answered, and I slipped the ring on his finger.

"Katniss," Peeta began. "I can't even describe how much you mean to me. You know me better than anyone else ever has, and somehow you are still standing here." Everyone laughed again as his brothers jokingly shrugged behind him as if they didn't get it either. He continued, "You are the reason I wake up each morning and feel like life is worth living. I would be so lost without you. I love you more than anything. Do you accept this ring as a symbol of my love?"

"I do," I replied, and he slipped the ring on my finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the man said. "You may kiss your bride, Peeta."

He didn't hesitate to lean forward and kiss me. It was sweet and passionate and only cut short by Prim clearing her throat behind me. Blushing, we turned and stood hand in hand to face our smiling friends and family. Everyone cheered as we walked down the aisle to begin the rest of our lives as Mr. and Mrs. Mellark.

**-10 years later-**

"Dinner is ready, honey!" I yelled to Peeta as I chased the laughing toddler across the living room. At three years old, Autumn Mellark was into absolutely everything. I finally caught her and fought to hold on as she giggled and squirmed in my arms.

"You need to eat, silly," I said, tapping the end of her nose with my finger. With her dark hair and olive skin, she was unmistakably my daughter. Her eyes, however, were blue just like her father's.

"Are you causing trouble for mommy, sweetheart?"

Autumn nearly jumped from my arms when she heard Peeta's voice. I looked to see him carrying our six month old son, Mason, down the stairs. Autumn ran to meet him and replied with a mischievous, "Maybe!"

He laughed and ruffled her hair, stopping to give me quick peck on the cheek before placing Mason in his highchair. Mason looked exactly like Peeta with his light hair and pale skin. The only feature resembling me was his gray eyes.

"Anyone home?"

I turned to see Prim walking in with a sleepy Avery Hawthorne trailing behind her.

"In here!" I called.

Prim took a seat next to Peeta and said, "She's been asking to see Autumn all day. You'd think they were sisters instead of first cousins!"

We all laughed and watched as the two girls played with their food. They certainly looked like sisters. Both had dark hair and blue eyes. But Avery had her mother's light skin.

"How's Rory?" Peeta asked.

"He's fine," Prim answered. "He got called in for an emergency surgery. I was hoping to spend some time together on our night off, but he would never turn down a patient."

"Sounds like someone else I know," I said, smiling at her.

She smiled back before turning to stop Avery from pulling Autumn's hair. It would only be a matter of time before one of them started crying and the other would be put in time out. But at the end of the day, they were still best friends.

I looked around the table at my family and, as usual, couldn't believe how lucky I was. Our life together wasn't always easy or fun. Sometimes it still felt like we were still catching our breath.

Shortly after our two year anniversary, all of Panem erupted with the flames of rebellion. With his status as a victor, Peeta was swept into the action by the officials in the previously unheard-of District Thirteen. Our time in Thirteen was filled with both fear and hope. My relationship was Peeta was pushed to the limit, but somehow we survived.

Gale volunteered his services, and Madge and I leaned on each other a lot. Finnick Odair's wife, Annie, found her way into our little group too. She was also a victor, but her games had left her too rattled to do much for the cause. Aside from appearing in propaganda shots occasionally, she stayed on the edge of the action as much as possible.

After three long years, the rebels won. President Snow was assassinated, and a woman named Paylor from District Eight was elected as Panem's new president. Finnick and Annie returned to District Four, upon Annie's request. She could hardly stand being away from the sun and the sea. Gale and Madge moved to District Two, where Gale accepted the position of mayor. As for Peeta and I, District Twelve will always be our home. Neither of us wanted to live in the house in Victor's Village because it reminded us of the Capitol. So we built our own in a new neighborhood near the woods.

My resolve to never have children remained for years after the rebellion. With a fragile new government and fresh memories of a war-torn country in my mind, I was still more than hesitant. But Peeta wanted them. And after four years, I finally gave in. It was the best decision I ever made.

Ten years ago, Peeta and I could have never imagined the life and the love we would eventually have. We were just two kids hoping for a chance at happiness, and both of us knew the risks we were taking even in getting married. Sometimes I found it hard to believe how everything fell into place for us. But then again, we've always been good at playing with the odds.


End file.
